Thank you to everyone for all the reviews! I know some of you have been waiting for this story for various different reasons so hopefully it will live up to expectations. :) Don't worry if some things don't make full sense yet. As I said in the author notes of the current chapter, not everything is supposed to fit together yet, the pieces will draw together as things progress. :) Thank you all again for continuing to read and review!

Also, I'm sorry I'm way behind on my review responses to Take Me and the last chapter of Take the Lead. I'll be answering those individually as I'm able. *glares at work and wishes for more time*

Review Responses for Chapter 1 of "Secrets in the Dark":

xBloodyxAngelx: Yes, I second that!! ;D Thanks!

Imaginary Fushia: Heheh! Yeah... nice mental image there, no? Poor Kaname indeed... *wants to huggle him* but fortunately he does have Zero. :D

YenGirl: Thanks! :D *hugs tightly* Yes, they've definitely only gotten closer over the past few years. :) Hopefully that shows in the comfortableness they have with one another in this chapter. Although obviously, they still don't know everything about one another just yet. Yes, I'm afraid you're quite right, there will indeed be even more detailed and painful flashbacks when the time comes, but I will put big warnings on those chappies so they'll be plenty of time to stock up on tissues before reading. ;D You are right again, as usual. ;D The door does indeed relate to the rape in a way. It's actually quite significant, but that will be explained in time. Explode it will, but yes, thank goodness he's got Zero there with him and a love that he knows he can count on.

Yes, I think they've come to be very understanding of one another's quirks, LOL and fortunately Zero's quick and resilient enough to survive Kaname's occasional night terrors. XD *grins* Oh yes... the confession moment when it all finally comes out between them and there is angst and then sweet comfort *happy sigh* is probably going to be one of the most fun / touching moments to write in this story.

I think that Zero is still shy in some ways, but he and Kaname have indeed both opened up and grown more comfortable and confident with one another over the past couple years. LOL yes, I too find myself sometimes feeling wistful for the early days, but it seems natural that they would continue to mature and grow together, and beautiful in its own way too. Aw, thank you so much for saying that!!

ROTFL! Um... *cough* that's okay. I'm not as wonderful as Zero either. I usually don't even wake up when my fiancé does. XD Unless he's sick or something... but *sparkly eyes* Zero and Kaname are fictional, so they can be just endlessly wonderful. XD

I agree completely, if the hurts of the past have to come back and bite Kaname, now is the best time really, because he and Zero have settled enough in their relationship that it's stable, they have a solid basis of trust, they know they love each other and can even manage to say it without too much trouble. ;) If this had happened any earlier on, when things were still uncertain or, heaven forbid, during the earlier stages of Blood Moon... *shudders* I fear things would have ended up really badly for both of them. Aw, well, no worries, there will be plenty of sweetness in amongst the angst too. Thanks!

darkHeartedAngel26: I do too! Thank you very much!!

Amorpheous: Glad you're enjoying and thanks for the review!! Yes! That twisted paradox is exactly what I wanted to convey through the dream. You hit the nail very much on the head about the coping techniques and the hidden meanings in the dream. Yeah, the way he woke up was supposed to be rather shocking and confusing, actually. It obviously startled the heck out of him too. Yes, the sick pleasure of the negative emotions were definitely part of it, but there is more to it as well, although that's supposed to be left as a question mark for now. :) Kaname truly doesn't remember what all is behind that door he's created... but it's not content to stay there any longer. A little like Yuki's repressed memories in the manga, when she started seeing blood everywhere, he's starting to deal with stabs of the past and sensations which he doesn't understand and he won't... until he unlocks that door.

I think you are completely right on that - Kaname is too good at what he does and Zero is (ironically) too trusting. Those are both weaknesses and strengths for them. On one hand, they've come to a balance where they can forgive and tolerate each other's quirks. On the other... when there's something like this going on... it gets a chance to build unseen until an explosion or meltdown is inevitable.

*smiles* Ah yes, they have indeed come quite far from there to now. I agree about Zero subconsciously knowing what Kaname needed. They are very good for each other that way. Even as, as you said so well, they continue searching for exactly the right balance of when to accept and when to push, etc. :) Thank you again very much!!!

HelloLish: Thank you!!

The Musician's Quill: Thanks!! :D

Fangirl66: Thank you very much!!

Nineorchids: LOL yes, it was a rather "jumpstart" beginning. :D Glad you liked it and that you find the gradual development of Kaname and Zero's relationship natural and enjoyable! *beams* thank you! I'm glad you like the premise too and hopefully it shall not disappoint. :) You're very right, the door and all of that will become clear in time. Thank you again!!!

Isilen: Thanks! LOL! Yay! Good timing then... :D I agree, I think that even in canon, Kaname had a pretty crappy childhood with a lot of people pressing things on him that he didn't want, although it was most probably not quite as awful as some of us 0:) like to make it. I imagine it would indeed be very hard to get away with hurting a pureblood the way Kaname has been hurt in the past in this fic, but I do have an explanation built in, and hopefully when the time comes it will seem believable. :)

*giggles* yup! I think they are pretty much good as married. :D We'll get little glimpses of what they've been up to over the intervening years as things progress. Zero has been accepted by the hunters, although not all of them really trust him yet and he is still training with Yagari, although he's currently on a break at the time of this fic. Nothing much has changed for Kaname except that Kuran Corp. has continued to grow and prosper. Takuma is indeed well established in his Syndeo now and although I'm not sure they'll actually come into this fic at all, I tend to imagine that Kain and Ruka are a couple by now, even if they're still dating / courting maybe. Yes, poor Aido. I don't know that I actually intend to pair him with anyone in my stories. I like he and Yori together, but I'm not sure I'll write it in, we'll see. :) I know... makes me a little sniffly too to think of them all growing up and all.

LOL it is funny how the manga came up with a somewhat mysterious door at the same time I was starting this fic. XD The two have nothing to do with one another, but it is important to this story, as many parts of the dream were, which will come clear with time. *chuckles* I like the way your mind works. Yes, you're right, that kind of waking reaction it would be, eh... good for starting other things... ;D We get to find out about the Mission Oil situation in this chapter, but... *grins* hold that thought you had. Because Yuki's case is going to make a reappearance as well in some unexpected ways and nothing may end up completely as it seems.

Yes, I think Zero was pretty open there in part because he was half asleep. XD OH! I love those song lyrics! They fit so well! *heart explosion* Well, in my version of their history, Kuran mansion holds some pretty painful memories for Kaname (and, in my universe, it's not close to the Academy or Kaname's other business concerns, making it less convenient) so I think he just hasn't gone there yet, preferring to start a new life with Zero in a new place. I may eventually take them back there at some point, or I might not, don't know yet. Hey, there is NOTHING wrong with your LOVELY review! *hugs* I loved it, thanks!!

CrimsonLily82: Aw, well, don't worry, you didn't miss too much! Still plenty of growing for them to do. ;) Yup, many mysteries will be revealed by the time this fic is over. Thank you!! *chuckles* well, I actually have enough plot in mind to carry me through at least another two or three stories after this one, but who knows if my Muse will stay inspired long enough to get me through all those, so I can't promise, but we'll see. :D Thanks again!

crimsoneyes44: Thanks. No, I haven't given up on Yours to Hold, but I've still got huge writer's block on it at the moment. :S *glares at her non-cooperative muse* I do intend to finish it, I just don't know when.

starberries bite: Thank you!!

DivinityofDarkness: *blushes* thank you!! LOL! Yes, the angst is back... *chuckles* but there will be some sweetness in this fic too, and definitely loads of hurt/comfort. ;) Don't kill anyone except the bad guys... got it... ;D Thanks again! *hugs*

DarkPureblood: *offers more tissues* Thank you very much!!

aniluja: Sorry to hear that. I do hope you might consider giving the story a shot anyway and seeing if I can change your mind. ;) I'm not sure about a 'movement' LOL (although since I like stories like that I wouldn't be too adverse to it *hides*) ;D Actually, I've had this in my head as part of Kaname's back-story in my AU world since Crimson Door, so you don't have to worry, it's not like it's going to change my portrayal of Kaname or anything, it's always been there in my mind, shaping some of his reactions to a certain, low-level extent. If it seems that this comes at a time when a number of other stories are working with similar situations, it's just because I write slow, so it's taken me two years to get to this point *sweatdrop* although I've actually had tiny snippets of this story written for over a year and a half (I had parts of Blood Moon written while I was still finishing Crimson Door too, it seems to be the way I write). Sorry if the hints were too subtle, I did try to weave them in from the start - like the way Kaname was so worried, almost horrified in Crimson Door when he thought that maybe he'd forced Zero in the warehouse. And it (along with the then more recent angst of the icky stuff that Ichiou and Rido had done to him) was part of what made Kaname pull up short when he was dangerously close to actually forcing Zero in the hotel room in Chapter 19.

"The pained look speared clearly across Kaname's smooth features again as the dark, hideous memory effectively threw a bucket of cold water on his fire. There were other memories too, even darker, from longer ago... scars that ran so deep he'd tried to cut them out of his mind and heart entirely. Kaname fumbled and froze. What was he doing? He couldn't do this to Zero... well, he could but he shouldn't."

It was actually the events that will come out in this fic that I was referring to in the mention about the darker, longer ago scars that Kaname had tried to cut out of his mind and heart. I dropped some hints in Blood Moon too, although I was trying not to get too far ahead of myself. Don't worry, this story will also be covering the mystery of Yuki's death as well. The history that will come out in this story plays into unraveling that mystery in such a way that you really can't divorce them from one another or Yuki's death won't actually make sense. I just couldn't cram all that into the summary, LOL. This story is also crucial to a continuing plotline / arc that I may keep following with some future stories as well, if my muse holds out. We'll see.

I appreciate your honesty even if I am very saddened that you don't like the premise. :*( *sniff* I can only hope that maybe you'll still give it a chance and might end up enjoying it anyway. :) *curls up in a corner and hugs her (struggling) cat mournfully*

AmidA: LOL I have fangirls? Cool! XD *wonders if she should be scared* Thanks for the review and for your comments! I appreciate everything you said. :D I'm glad you found the out of body experience believably portrayed. Well, it wasn't really a person on the other side of the door that was trying to open it, it was more a symbol of what's happening inside Kaname's mind, of the pressure of repressed memories that are trying surface. As for who the dirtball is who is responsible... 0:D We'll be meeting him soon. *bounces* thanks! Glad it had that cryptic dream-like feeling to it, it is kind of hard to capture that when writing because the urge is to make things more linear or try to make them make sense right away, but dreams rarely do. This one will eventually though. You are right to worry about that. Very right. :D *giggles* yes, Zero + half asleep is totally cute! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! *Huge, huge hugs*

Eilara: Thank you so much!!

VaneCaos: Thanks! *hugs* We've already talked, I know, but I want to say again that I totally understand if you want to skip it because of the rape theme. I would definitely not want you to read anything that would hurt or sadden more than it was enjoyable. It won't be the entire story though, there is an actual plot woven throughout, LOL so, if you do decide you want to give it a try anyway, I promise I will be putting big warnings on any chapters that contain actual flashbacks of what happened so they would be easy to skip. Most chapters will only be dealing with the mental and emotional issues raised after the fact.

Yeah, the whole it's happening to someone else is very much a coping mechanism for abuse and you're quite right about the door. The fact that he was inexplicably aroused like that is wreaking havoc with Kaname's mind right now too, actually, so you're not alone in not understanding. It's supposed to be a bit of a mystery, the reason will come out later. It ties into some of the memories that have been suppressed. *more big hugs*

Dani-ko: Thanks for reviewing! I'm really glad you've been enjoying the stories! Yes, this story is, among other things, going to wrap up a lot of the unfinished questions surrounding Yuki's death. Thanks again!!

eCaiSme.hOneyBee: Well thank you, I appreciate the review! I'm very happy that you like the series and the stories! Mwahahah, well good luck with corrupting your friend then! XD Thanks!!

aisha4senru: Yup, definitely another angsty one! Thanky you sooo much!!

stallion14: Thank you!!

SkyChild: Wow, read your mind huh? Cool! Hopefully no one can read mine... I can't be held responsible for what's up there sometimes... *cough* XD Thanks so much!

animechix112: Thanks!

roro237: Thank you! Yes, mysterious is definitely what I was hoping for in that whole dream sequence. All those answers shall definitely come in time. Thanks!!!

Mystikwriter: Thank you very much!!

Tatari00: I'm glad you liked those stories too and the start of this one, thanks! Ooh! You caught my hints, yay! Yup, this is the story that will finally cover it. Kaname is indeed pretty confused, poor thing. And so are we on some things, but all will come clear with time. For now I'll just say those are some pretty good guesses you made there. ;)

DiaSuru: Thanks!! LOL yes, it was supposed to be very disturbing, so, um... I'm glad? ;D *hugs*

Jiggary: Will do! ;)

catlover28: Thank you so much!!

XquidditchxbeaterX: I have a feeling you are very right! *snaps Zero's seatbelt for him* XD And yes, I think he will... :)

DeepWaterBlack: *high fives fellow K and Z fan* It is kinda nice to see them able to relax and be kinda natural together like that. :) It's enjoyable watching how they have progressed through time. Yikes, yes, totally creepy dream! Kaname will eventually confess to Zero, but it will take a little while. Oh! I like that idea of yours! That's not quite how it will happen (LOL too bad, it's a killer idea!) but it actually is really close in a couple of ways. :D You'll see when we get there. Thanks so much!!

shikiXichijo23: Thank you very much!! *beams happily*

AnoymouslyStupid: Thank you!!! Yes, it's definitely a continuation. Crimson Door, Blood Moon, Take the Lead and this story are all part of one long, connected chain of events. LOL I love your username by the way. X3

Ebony-Knight: Thanks!

Faithful Cherry Blossom: Thank you so much!!! :D

Maydn: Thank you! I couldn't help thinking that if it was a TV show or something, that first chapter, since it was kind of short, is like the little teaser segment they'd start off with before they went to the title credits. *my mind works so strangely* .

*bounces happily in her seat* I'm delighted that you found it compelling. I was really hoping to get that disjointed / detached feeling, so thanks! Yes, Kaname's age and other such details will come out as things unfold. I think Zero already has a feeling that something is up, but he can't pin it down yet. It will, however, begin to become more and more apparent to him. :D

Thank you SO much for what you said, I really, truly appreciate it. *feels very happy* I hope the story lives up to expectations and that you continue to enjoy it!

*nods* I am an official Blackened Wing fangirl! X"3 I have also gotten a few dozen other people into you because I believe that any self-respecting Vampire Knight fanfiction fan needs to read your work! You are by far the best I've ever read on FFN! *dances* No need to fear! I'm not one of those crazy fangirls...*tries to look innocent* ^^; Anyway, after the horrendous not-being-able-to-post-reviews thing with Blood Moon...*sighs* Not to mention, once I read this story, how could I NOT want to review?? n.n And I figured out that it wasn't an actual person behind that door about ten seconds after I posted the review. -_-; I felt so stupid! And that dirtball...*cracks knuckles* ^~^ Hehe. You know. I've never read such a believable dream sequence! You did a wonderful job...I want your writing skills! *cries* And I don't want to be right about that! *looks around nervously* The door can just stay closed forever, right...? -_-; I'm guessing that's a no. Oh dear...*turns on author* Don't you hurt those two too much! I won't be able to handle it...XD And I think Zero ANYWAY is pretty much ADORABLE. *smiles deviously* But then again, so is Kaname...*drools* You're welcome you're welcome you're welcome! I am so excited that you finally updated! *goes to read next chapter*...*turns around and glomps* Can't forget the untimate hug first! You are so awesome. *returns to new chapter*

~AmidA

Aww! *blushes and hugs* Thanks!!! LOL and hey, not stupid at all, the whole dream thing was intentionally vague and was supposed to be ripe with possibility for many interpretations until things progress and the final one starts to come clear, so that was a perfectly valid guess too. :) I'm delighted it seemed believable! :D LOL and yeah... that would be a no... poor Kaname! But don't worry, I'll try to make sure that there's equal amounts comfort for hurt. :) *giggles* yes, they're both adorable.

Thanks again!!

*returns hug* Yay, I made the author blush! XD Well...either way, I FELT stupid. ^^; And DRAT! *curses door* Just get outta here, will ya?! *sighs* Oh well. I have a feeling I'm gonna cry at this fic too...;-; You've made me cry at all the other ones! *huggles Kaname plushie* I'll just find comfort in this little guy! *giggles* Anyway, can't wait for the next chap! I know it'll be just as good. XD And I hope you don't mind the freakishly long review I left on the second chapter...O.o

Courtney

Mind? MIND?! Of course I don't mind! Freakishly long reviews are always welcomed with delight! *huggles*

As usual, let me say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU all for all the wonderful reviews!! I always say it, but that's just because it's true - you all are the reason I write. :) Also, I want to mention that although it's obvious in this chapter that Kaname and Zero are generating some misunderstandings between them because Zero doesn't understand what's going on with Kaname, don't worry too much for them. They've got a good base of love and understanding to work from by now, so their inter-relational issues are not likely to get as angsty as they have in the past.

Oh, a number of people commented on a line was confusing because somehow a few words got left out of it *bangs head on desk* I have fixed it in the story chapter, but for all of you who read it before, that line was SUPPOSED to read:

"He drew in a deep breath and told himself to just accept the situation and start formulating new plans.He hadn't gotten what he wanted, but he hadn't necessarily lost the game yet either."

LOL sorry for the mess-up.

Review Responses for Chapter 2 of "Secrets in the Dark":

XquidditchxbeaterX: I have to agree, Kaname is often much too hard on himself. Yeah, it usually is, so thank you! I'm really glad you found the whole An'swala situation intriguing. Thanks!!

Eilara: LOL! Thanks, I'm glad it didn't bog things down. Yes, Kaname is more terrified than even he realizes I think. Poor thing. As for how he'll get over it... :D :D I guess we'll have to just wait and see. :D

roro237: Thank you! I always want people to be able to visualize the scene as clearly as I'm seeing it, so I really appreciate what you said! Ooo, and I think you are very right about why he's having these dreams now... ;)

Imaginary Fushia: Yeah, I don't think he exactly realized he felt that bad either until it happened, and I'm certain Zero didn't. :S Thank you!!! I'm glad you're looking forward to it. :) LOL yes, I thought that probably needed explaining, and yes, it does have its reasons for sure. Don't worry if you didn't get it all, later on when things start to develop, it will make more sense. Mm! Yes, I must admit I liked that image too. Thank you so much!

starberries bite: You're welcome, thanks!

BloodyRoseLove1: yeah! ;D

The Musician's Quill: Really? Cool! Thank you!!!!!!!

Good Evening: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Yes, all the much-too-familiar business / political blah blah in that chapter was definitely dry. *reaches for some water and offers you a glass as well* LOL but hopefully that's the last time we'll have to have so much out and out explanation. I'm really glad you like the story thus far and thanks so much for what you said about me and my little Doujin and all too! *blushes and giggles* I do indeed wish to please both ZxK and KxZ fans (especially since I am strange and hopeless enough to actually be both at the same time XD), so that makes me quite happy! ROTFL!! A happy Kaname sadist, huh? XD Well then there will be a lot to like in this story for you, I think, because Kaname is not going to be a very happy camper a lot of the time, poor thing. :) Thanks again for the review!

xBloodyxAngelx: LOL well that's okay, I think it was kind of confusing and boring to Zero too. XD It will make sense with time, and Kaname's past will also start to be revealed in time, no worries. Thanks!

AmidA: Oh dear! LOL sorry to have made you wait so long! At least this one comes out much quicker. ;) *snickers* Little human jelly donuts... *bursts out laughing* okay, yes, that amuses me too even though it probably shouldn't. XD Thanks, I do always want to inject a little of the lighter side in there, especially since, as you said, things often get pretty dark and heavy. Yes, it must suck to be a pureblood and have to worry about accidentally broadcasting your mood/feelings to everyone around you. :P Aww *coos at cute Kaname plushie* Yes, you're right, that was a typo, oops!

*tries to look innocent* what, me? Torment poor Kaname? Um... I refuse to answer on the grounds that a certain pureblood and hunter may track me down and kill me. 0:) Heheheh yes, somehow I think Zero has no problem guarding Kaname's... uh... body... XD *is shot* LOL! Oh no worries, you don't have to really understand the business talk, the important bits will become clear as things continue. Yes, Kaname is a pureblood after all, and capable of being ruthless in his dealings if he feels the situation warrants such... or if he's pissed. ;) But of course, never with Zero. :) Thankies for catching those other couple of typos too! *is appalled as always by how much she managed to miss* Er... yeah, I really screwed that line up, didn't I? I fixed it so it reads right now. You can see how it was supposed to read at the top of this post.

Thank you!! *beams happily* I'm so glad you like the way I write their relationship and that it has a kind of genuine feel to it. The way their relationship has developed across all the different stories is really just about as important to me as whatever else was happening in the stories, so thank you! *is delighted beyond words* I am also so, SO delighted that you liked the way Kaname spoke! *is now residing on cloud 99* THANK YOU!!! *giggles and blushes profusely*

LOL um, well, you'll kind of get both your wishes... we will eventually see what's behind that door, but we don't have to see it just yet. Lots of angsty build up to get there. XD Although we'll soon be getting more hints again. :) ROTFL!! You know, I have often wondered what is it about Kaname and/or Zero that makes one want to scream at the screen so often, you know? XD I have that a lot too... ;)

Explanations will definitely come on that part. *nods* And actually, that feeling you have of not knowing what is memory and what is dream is perfect! XD That's exactly how Kaname feels actually, even though he has a little bit more of a clue, but not too much. So yes, it's okay that you're confused about that kind of stuff right now, it's supposed to be confusing. But it will get clearer.

Yeaaah, that probably wasn't a really helpful memory for him at that moment. And you're right, the situation is actually different for him, but from the outside, he doesn't realize that. Yes, you're exactly right about Kaname's mind and body trying to tell him something too. :) Aww! *blushes some more and moves up several more cloud layers* Wow, cloud 999 now! They're going to have to start building some more tiers if you keep making me float like this! ;D Thank you SO much for what you said, I can't say how much I appreciate it and how happy you've made me. Thank you!! *hugs back tightly*

SkyChild: LOL yes it is, I think Kaname's thinking the same thing! Thanks! Yes, life has definitely smoothed out for them in that regard. There's still some issues of course, but even so they're in a much better place now than ever before. :) Thank you! I'm enjoying playing with the mystery angle on this one, so yay! :D Thanks again!

CrimsonLily82: LOL I guess those old business classes waay back in college were good for something other than catching up on my sleep after all then... XD Thank you! And thank you too for what you said about Kaname's past in this fic. I do indeed hope that it will seem unique and fitting for this series when it all finally comes out. *keeps fingers crossed* :)

Nope, not too much to ask for a bit of a recap on the more recent past at all! We actually get a good glimpse at that in this chapter. Not the whole two years, but at least the past few months.

Yes, I agree about the VK setting. Those are the same things that make me wonder about it. Also, the fact that we're told Haruka and Juri were at least around 3000 years old when they died, however, when we see them as what we can only assume is "young people" in the one Kuran family special that showed when Haruka and Juri were still in the process of getting together, they're wearing modern clothing and Juri is attending a very modern looking academy-style school, which would not have been present several thousand years ago in our current earth's past. Of course, just because Juri's in school doesn't mean she was school age, I suppose - we could have a Twilight thing going on here LOL but that isn't the impression I get off it, soo... *shrugs* Yup, nice vague setting indeed. Lets me be nice and vague in return. XD

Aw! I love the idea of Zero trying to read up on business, etc. to better understand things in Kaname's world. :) that would make him *cough* a far better partner than people like me... LOL who are just like: Oh, really? Mm-hm, yes, dear, that's fascinating... XD Actually you're right, I could see him doing that too. Well, his own work and studies are probably keeping him pretty busy right now (and him not understanding gives an excuse for me to put in explanations for all the readers' sakes LOL) but I wouldn't be surprised if he did do that at some point in the future! :) *loves the idea* Thanks for catching those typos! Eep, so many of them! *blushes*

Thanks again for the lovely review!

Lenko: Wow, really? You did that just so you could review? Thank you so, SO much! I really appreciate everything you said, it means a lot to me. *bounces happily* Yes, we'll definitely be getting a full look at how it effects both Kaname and Zero and their reactions and all. Yay! I'm delighted you noticed all the subtle hints in the other stories. Yes, that reaction to the nightmare was significant and will unquestionably be explained properly later. In the meantime it's definitely compounding his self-disgust and confusion and giving Zero some very wrong impressions as well. :) It's a good thing they are at a much more comfortable and trusting stage in their relationship. And yes, despite all the angst that may come, it's that love and caring that will pull them through. Confession and comfort will definitely be a major event in the story. No worries, it will all end well for sure. I'm a sucker for happy endings. :) LOL! I hear ya... ;) Well don't worry, the mystery about Yuki's death will (hopefully! *keeps fingers crossed*) enhance the other plotline, not take time away from it. :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am always incredibly pleased and relieved to hear that things sound real and believable. Aw! *blushes happily* Wow, as real as the manga? Now that is a compliment!! *hugs* Thank you so much for the awesome, awesome review!! Oh my, and don't worry, I adore long reviews. ;) Thanks again!

BloodiedRuby: LOL too many! XD Chapter 2 was around 15 pages long I think. Good thing you like long stories because I seem incapable of writing short ones! ;P Thank you very much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! *chuckles* and wow, I am very complimented that you could get them confused! Thanks!!!!!!

DivinityofDarkness: *giggles and hugs tightly* LOL, no, no worries, nothing terrible happening just yet. I'm letting things sneak up slowly in their own time with this story. ;) Yes, she speaks! ;) I actually like Seiren a lot for some reason, so we'll probably see more of her as a tertiary character. I don't know if that will necessarily be in this story, but at some point. Yup, how could our dear hunter not go up in her estimation once she continues to see how much Kaname needs him? *dreamy sigh*

Yay!!! *bounces in her chair* Thank you so much! That's exactly what I hope to do with them - merge them into couple-hood without losing their characters, I mean. :) *hugs wonderful puddle of goo happily* :D :D Oooh, thanks for the bribes too! XD

HelloLish: Thanks!

Maydn: Yeah, that was a pretty long chapter, but I'm very, very glad to hear that it didn't drag. *whew* Wow, you think I write and post quickly? I think I love you! LOL I am always thinking that I write so slowly. I don't think I could ask for a nicer compliment then that it was like "reading a film", thank you! The truth is I often play situations out in my head as if I was watching a movie, and then I try to write them down as if I were transcribing one, so yay! :) *beams* thank you for saying that. Since so much of the chapter revolved around laying down foundation and explanations I was hoping that if we were kind of following along on Zero's coattails, then we the audience could more easily be filled in on everything through him being filled in on it, without it sounding too horribly dry or boring.

:D I have a positive love of imagining how our world and the vampire world would mesh, so I'm delighted that you like all those little adds and asides too, including the whole bit later with how vampires would turn the constant strife in third world countries, etc. to their uses. *beams* Yes, very true, Kaname is very gentle and loving with Zero, but that doesn't change his personality to others, glad you liked that mention.

LOL oops! No, it wasn't you at all, that was an error. Somehow several words got completely lost out of that sentence. Thanks for pointing it out! I fixed it in the chapter, and you can see how it was supposed to read at the top of this post too.

Thanks! Glad you liked the tea bit and all and *giggles* the office furniture line. ;) Oh yes, there is definitely a background / important connection to all the business stuff that's going on. Including a connection between Kaname and the CEO of Orion, you are quite right. :) LOL that's funny about that name, I never heard of that company. *finds herself giggling helplessly* Well, I should feel bad for making him suffer too then... but... I don't... O_O I'm a terrible person. LOL but then again, I know that he's going to come through all right and will get lots of nice comfort and all later... ;) Glad you liked that comparison too! Thank you very much, I'm so happy that you like the story surrounding everything and I hope that all those points you are looking forward to will continue to please! Thanks!!!

DarkPureblood: Yes, he does! Thanks!

DracOnyx: LOL! Well, I will very willingly take the blame for that! *giggles* Yay! *cheers for your writing and sends plot bunnies to nibble on you*

Sunless: Thank you! Yeah, I think that situations tend to be more believable or at least understandable when they are close to something we know. Thanks again!!

AnoymouslyStupid: Thank you so much!! Very glad you're enjoying it!!!

Nineorchids: *giggles* Really? Thanks!! Yeah, sounds like you and Zero were on the same thought wave there! ;) I really like the train wreck analogy there, you're quite right and I completely know that feeling! See, if they were real people it would be cruel, but since it's fanfic... :D It's just interesting! *cough* at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;) Thank you again!

YenGirl: LOL *peeks at the globe* cool! Yes, I'm certain Zero's been in and out of that office enough for everyone there to recognize him. Although naturally, only because Kaname's there. Yes, of course Kaname wouldn't stand for such things, unless... XD Mwahahaha... sorry, but you can't tell me that that desk of his has never been... eh... christened... 0:) LOL! Well of COURSE someone needs to be there to report on the lemons!! *nods vigorously and quickly forges a pass for herself as well* V: *whispers to YenGirl* Do you think they're buying it? ;D

Oh yes, Kaname has made very sure that Zero is accepted and respected wherever he has the influence to ensure it. :) Yes, Zero has come a long way. *smiles fondly at him* Which is good because Kaname needs him more than ever now. :)

You are very right, definitely more than just business going on. And yup, Kaname does need to have what it takes, both for the business world and for vampire politics, but YES that's why it is so vitally important for him to have Zero where his true heart can come out and he can relax. *dreamy smile*

LOL! I love the flags... *giggles at their use throughout the review* Yeah, it does sound rather natural to have Kaname explaining things to Zero. Good thing too because it's how the rest of us get to learn along with him. ;) *applauds* yup, you got it too!! *chuckles* well, you know, Kaname is under a lot of stress right now... *gets Zero to go over and give him a little poke and whisper in his ear to smile at YenGirl too, which (naturally, since Zero asked) he does quickly* ;)

Yeah, I thought it was kind of an interesting quandary that Zero is going to find himself in at times. He is a hunter, but he is also Kaname's lover. Being with Kaname means he'll get to know a lot about vampires that only vampires know - so how does he decide how much of that makes it into hunter knowledge, and how much of it he needs to protect so as not to betray Kaname's trust? Interesting conundrum for him. But, fortunately, not too much in this case since Kaname set him free on that. ;)

Mm, yes, so nice to see them that way and yes, the meeting will be an eye opener indeed. ;D Thank you sooo sooo SO much!!!!!! *hugs tightly*

Kyashii: Yes indeed! *hands out tissues* Thank you!!!

stallion14: Thank you!

catlover28: Thank you very much!!

zerokanda: Wow, thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying it! LOL and hey, what's wrong with being a hentai stalker...? XD I'm glad you liked the "intelligent" bits in Ch2. I didn't really pull the exact situation from anywhere, I just kind of took the familiar elements that we hear about all the time and did my own thing with it. I'm happy it came across believably. Thanks again, so much!!! :) :)

Well, a relatively quick update this time! Thank you for all the lovely reviews! As always, you all are the best! I know a lot of you were hoping for things to come to a head with Kaname and Zero in this chapter, and they do... but it's not quite so straightforward. Some things are settled, but some things are left in even more mystery.

To me it seems that the underlying tenant of a lasting relationship is that it is not always perfect, but with a lot of love, forgiveness and an earnest attempt to understand one another you can weather the storms and that's kind of the angle I'm playing right now with where this fic is at. Hopefully it comes across okay. *sweatdrop* ;)

Review Responses for Chapter Three of "Secrets in the Dark" :

crimsoneyes44: Thank you! Very glad you liked it. :)

Sagakure: Thanks!! Yay for moe revival! Must not lose that, eep! *quickly sends over a team of bunnies with moe CPR equipment to be on standby just in case it needs reviving again* ;D

I'm sooooo delighted that you liked that lemon, brief though it was. Heheheh yes, poor Yagari, he's seen waay too much of them for his comfort probably. *snickers* Yes, I love those situations with the three of them too.

Yeah, it's so easy for poor Zero to get the wrong idea right now, even in this chapter at a few points. It's hard when someone you love suddenly seems disinterested, even if there are perfectly good explanations, one can't help but feel it just a little. BUT fortunately by now he definitely realizes that they have something solid and both of them are fully committed to making their relationship work, even when there are bumps. :)

Hehe!! OMG, I was so tempted to do that. Kaname having to bail Zero out was SUCH a tempting scene. ;) But I think that would have forced a more problematic confrontation between them on the way home then I wanted to have happen in this chapter unfortunately. *chuckles and saves the fun mental scene that would make for another fic possibly*

Aw!! *blushes* you make me very happy! I'm SO glad you find them that way. *hugs tightly* Thank you!!!!

stallion14: LOL! Isn't he always? ;D Thanks!

VaneCaos: Yup, he has something to do with Kaname's past. We'll actually finally get to meet him in... *glances at her chapter plan which has been bent all out of shape by some erstwhile plot bunny intervention* a couple chapters or so! ;) I haven't heard of that RPG, but it sounds fun, that's cool that it reminds you of it. I definitely want the setting now to be more mature and political like that and I'm glad it helps establish timeline too. As this series moves farther and farther away from the original VK timeline I am always trying to find ways to make the progression seeming natural, so thank you!

I think you make a very good point, if Kaname wasn't the way he is with the rest of the world, then the difference of how he is with Zero would be less precious. *smiles at them both then high fives* Guess we were thinking along the same lines there about getting to see Zero's world after having seen Kaname's. :D You're so right, it is almost a miracle really. *happy sigh*

Yes, everything is related, and you're right again about Kaname's state of mind. It's not necessarily what he remembers that is the biggest problem right now... it's what he doesn't, and the fact that he doesn't. :) Yeah, in my mind a part of Kaname's need to win and to be in control comes from needing to never be in a position again like he was back then, I'm glad you liked that too.

Thanks! LOL well human nature may be contradictory, but I'm definitely sooo so happy that you liked the chapter and the underlying plot too. Thank you! Hope you had a good holiday. :)

catlover28: Thank you!!!

xBloodyxAngelx: Oh noes! I hate it when that happens. *kicks FFN* Actually that "Help, I'm Alive" song does work rather well for the last chapter, and for this one too, I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it. Cool! LOL! Yeah, I think Yagari would probably flush, although he'd act all tough and nonchalant about it probably. *chuckles, imagining it*

Yeah, I liked the idea of Zero riding a motorcycle. Somehow that just seemed sexy to me... ;D LOL!! Oh man, yeah, I love imagining what would have happened if Zero had gotten arrested too. I will definitely have to do that sometime in the future. XD Honestly, I don't know if the waitress will ever come into play in the story again or not, sometimes my muse latches onto things like that, sometimes she doesn't, I guess we'll see what happens. I think there will be a lemon soon. :) Can't promise how fine they'll be, but... ;) Thanks again!

Darkness Dawn: Yay! I'm glad you're feeling better. *hugs* LOL well, I can't exactly give away details of what will happen with that scumbag just yet, but Zero will definitely be very protective of Kaname once the truth comes out. :) LOL I love your nicknames! You make a very good point, Zero is perhaps even more sensitive to the perceived shift in attitude because of his past (sadly disastrous) relationship with Ichiru, who was very much one minute clinging to Zero and the next turning on him. I actually mention that a little in the chapter too! *high fives* But of course, with Kaname it's completely different. *huggles them both*

ROTFL!!!! Yeah, I want to borrow Zero too! Or Kaname! Or better yet, both!!! But wait... then they'd be so involved with each other they'd forget I was there... *suddenly perks up* wait, why was that a bad thing?! *drools and watches*

*hugs and offers tissues* Thank you so much!!

roro237: Thanks! I hope to write more sometime about Zero and the hunters and all. Don't know that it will come into this story, but I have some ideas for more, if my muse stays with me. *crosses fingers* Thank you!!

Arrienete: Thank you very much! I'm so happy that you enjoy the ride, even when it's a rollercoaster! :) LOL, until you get old and die? oh dear, well, uh, unless you're checking into a nursing home right now I can't really promise that *chuckles* but my muse seems to be going fairly strong at the moment, so we'll see what we can do! ;) Thank you again for a lovely review!

Chemical-euphoria: Thanks!

Lenko: Thank you! :D You're right, it's very unlike Kaname to do that. Fortunately, Zero kinda realizes that it is too. LOL and I think Kaname is missing Zero like crazy, he's just really screwed up right now *shakes her head* poor thing. *pretends she's not the one doing all this to them* 0:)

I'm glad you liked the parts with the hunters. I find it an interesting topic to ponder. I like the fascinating difficulty of Zero's position being both hunter and prey and walking in two very different worlds as he does. Yagari's such a dear... *hugs him* I'm glad Zero has him for those reasons too.

Well, it's not that this is the first *mission* Zero's been on, it's just that it was the first major group-op. Sorry for not explaining that better. I imagine that Zero's been on a number of missions already, both with Yagari and solo. In the manga it seemed that a lot of hunters' work could be done alone and dealt with simply keeping track of the kill orders and carrying them out if that vampire was in their area, or traveling to another area to hunt them down. I'm assuming that group operations requiring larger numbers of hunters are more rare and the Association might have been hesitant to plug Zero into one anyway, so that's why it was his first. I'm betting Yagari was placing behind the scenes pressure to make it happen. LOL very possibly Kaname too. ;)

Yes! Their relationship has definitely grown to where Zero feels more comfortable and able to be playful and Kaname feels secure and safe. Despite the bumps they're going through now, that remains true and that's what will help them through. *grins* Yagari walking in on them... such fun to imagine indeed. XD Thank you!

You make a good point, I don't think Zero really does know that he has a right to be pissed off and worried over that. I mean, he is but I think he feels kind of guilty and silly for feeling that way too. He definitely is starting to realize that something is wrong though, so things are moving in the right direction. Aye, poor Kaname too, he's so messed up and so fearful of hurting Zero because of it that he is accidentally hurting him in a different way, although it almost can't be helped. *hugs them both*

I'm glad you like the human/vampire world fusion, I have such fun with those things! Not to worry, Zero getting pulled over didn't turn into too big a deal, fortunately. And you get your wish, even though the full truth of course is not out yet, they do talk, and Kaname does apologize and Zero gets his mind set at ease at least on the score of worrying that Kaname doesn't want him or something. Thank you so, SO much for your wonderful review, I am sitting here smiling and bouncing in my chair with glee. I definitely meant it about long reviews, and I love your "essay"! LOL *hugs*

Eilara: Thanks! Mmm, yes, Zero on a motorbike = HOT. ;D And Zero is definitely doing too much thinking! LOL he even realizes it... but yup, it's hard not to sometimes. LOL! Yeah, I think he probably got quite the telling off. ;) Thanks again!!

zerokanda: LOL he is! And yup, I don' t think that aspect of his character will ever change... *grins at our dear, rebellious hunter* Thank you!

DivinityofDarkness: Thanks! LOL well I can see where that could sound a little funny. ;D But I just meant that he stayed on his case about it. LOL! Yeah, it would be interesting to see a vampire get into an accident, but fortunately Zero and his bike are safe and non-impounded! ;) I actually considered the same things, but I don't want to inject too much outside drama just yet, there's plenty coming... ;) *Zero and his bike both breathe a sigh of relief*

Very good analysis of what both Kaname and Zero are going through! Poor them.

LOL! *looks delighted at the truckloads of bribes, then suddenly wonders where she's going to put them all* ;D Well, it looks like it's working, got this chapter done pretty fast! Thank you soooooooooooooo much!! LOL well, must keep the goo happy then!! ;D

Nineorchids: Thank you! Mwahahah, yes, I thought the same thing about Zero's mode of transportation... *grins*

Sunless: Thank you very much!! :D

SkyChild: LOL yes, I'm afraid they are a little. Not quite as badly as in the past, however, thankfully. :) Although Kaname is kind of falling apart inside, we at least don't seriously have to worry about their relationship falling apart at all. They may have struggles, they may have misunderstandings and hurt feelings, but very little at this point could seriously drive them apart. :)

Yeah, the police would probably have had trouble catching up if Zero hadn't pulled over. XD Thank you! I'm very pleased that you're enjoying the story so much!!

G-17writa: Thank you!! I agree, Zero is the same only more mature. LOL yeah, *I* certainly wouldn't stand up either one of them... *drools and day dreams* mwahahah I also love the thought of him on a bike... *more day dreams* OOH YES! MUST RIDE BIKE WITH ZERO.... *drools* Thank you so much!

JerichoGirl: Thank you, I'm glad you liked the flashbacks. :) I think Kaname is noticing, now we just have to get him to the point where he can do something about it. ;) Thanks again!

YenGirl: Yup, that's what the chapter was meant to do, so thanks! ;D No, I don't think it's always easy being a pureblood's lover when you're not one, but fortunately our wonderful hunter is stubborn enough to be able to deal with it. *huggles him* LOL yeah, it's probably a good thing for Kaname that he can pull off that melt-your-heart look so well *snickers at all the butt kicking that has saved him from* But you're quite right. :)

ROTFL!!! That's right, every single inch of him! *buries her face in her napkin to try and keep from sniggering aloud at Yen and the snooty-nobles* You dork heads have NO idea!!! XD Yes, I was thinking of that a little too - the fact remains that Zero is inevitably in limbo between worlds, belonging fully to neither, but he's one of those people whose spirit is strong enough to handle that, and to eventually build bridges between those worlds as a result, I think. And of course, he belongs very firmly in his and Kaname's little world of two! ;)

Yeah, guys on bikes are often jerks in RL unfortunately, but Zero or Kaname... *drools shamelessly* Zero especially makes a delightful biker... *imagines him all done up with a leather jacket, boots and dark glasses to complement his tattoos and piercings* heheheh

Ouch, yeah, "friendly-fire" is not a fun way to get hurt. It was very lucky for Kio that Zero was so good! Yes, poor Zero, feeling that way about Kaname's distraction! LOL well it won't quite work out that way, although it certainly could have! *chuckles at how very like them that would be* Although there did manage to be most of those elements in there, actually. ;D Yay! I'm so glad you liked that whole bit with the flashbacks. That's right, those poor sods simply have NO idea! ;D But we do! :D *drools contentedly* Definitely have to write a longer version of all that sometime... *grins* I'm so happy you liked it! LOL and yeah, Yagari must have been pretty exhausted, or else not too nearby. XD

Well, I think Kaname now realizes what his behavior is doing to Zero. Even if there's still issues, I think they have come to some very important understandings with one another all the same and at least Zero is assured now that it isn't him. :) And *cough* don't worry... Kaname's not going to be able to deny his desire for Zero for very much longer... *cough*

Yup, it was minor, just a normal speeding ticket for the most part, fortunately. *whew* ;) Thank you!!!!! *muchly huggles*

BloodyRoseLove1: Thanks!

XquidditchxbeaterX: Thank you! LOL yeah, he might've had an accident if he hadn't gotten pulled over actually, so I guess that was kind of a good thing. ;)

WindStar: LOL! Yes! Much better than road smear! ;) Fortunately our dear boy escaped both an accident and jail, so really, his night isn't going so bad at all, is it? ;D Thank you very much!!!!

mercury.quicksilver: Thanks!!! No, getting pulled over isn't fun. *speaks from experience... oops!* ;D Yes, that important meeting is coming up soon... :D Thanks again!

Oh yes to a longer version of that flashback! *sparkly eyes*

Thank you for all the reviews! Sorry FFN was being kind of hinkey when I posted last time, and messed up with some of the chapter alerts (I personally never actually got one) but hopefully it won't have any such issues this time... *keeps fingers crossed*. Thank you all for your patience with the number of unanswered questions about Kaname's behavior that continue to build. These beginning chapters are taking longer than I expected, but some answers are coming in the near future, and of course, more will continue to come out at different moments throughout the fic.

Review Responses for Chapter 4 of "Secrets in the Dark":

The Musician's Quill: Thank you!! Yes, Zero's being very lovely that way, and Kaname really needs it now too. :) I am delighted to say that someone DID draw a pic of "Sleepy five-year-old Kaname"! :D If you haven't seen it already, check out Sagakure's awesome pic on Deviant Art. You can find a link to it a couple of posts back in my blog. (the homepage link on my bio).

Sagakure: Speaking of the insanely talented angel... ;D *huggles* Thanks!! Yes, I figured that having the past invade on what should be peaceful, sweet, intimate moments with Zero would really hurt Kaname a lot and make him angst even more. Poor thing! LOL yeah, it's no fair that somehow even just imagining them snuggling and watching TV is somehow drool worthy... XD Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!!

Kyaa... yes, Kaname is too cute sometimes. And I have to agree... he does manage to be utterly sexy even when he's not aroused himself. *drools and nosebleeds* LOL! Yes, I think Zero would have felt way awkward and weird if that had happened *giggles* although outside the current angsty situation, it would have been pretty funny. Z: *panting softly... suddenly looks up* K: *snoring gently* Z: wtf? XD

Wow, really? *has to move to a bigger apartment just to contain her massive head after all the lovely compliments* Thank you SOOO much! *hugs tightly* I know I've said it before, but I don't know how else to try and express it - it means the world to me that you enjoy my writing so much. *blinks, feeling happily teary and embarrassedly misty-eyed* :*)

G-17writa: LOL! That would make a great oneshot scenario, I can just see it. Hehe! Maybe I will do that sometime! Mm... *also waggles eyebrows and nosebleeds profusely at the mental images* Yeah... I know what you mean. XD

Well coupley should be a word... ;) and thanks! I had a lot of fun with the whole 'domestic' feeling of the last chapter. *sends you a truck load of tissues* Yes, I think you will need them for later on in this fic. Not just yet, fortunately, but soon. LOL hey, no worries, I wanted everything to have a very "normal" kind of feeling last chapter, so I'm delighted that it did. Guh... you had to go and suggest the idea of a taking-the-chocolate-by-mouth picture... *drools quietly* Now I want to do one... XD Don't know if I can manage it, but if I have time sometime, I may try. Thanks!! I'm glad you liked the cufflink one! :)

Mmm, yes! *nods* Either Zero or Kaname in handcuffs = HOTNESS. XD And I agree, Kaname is kind of the one who is going to need more "protection" of a sort in this story and Zero gets to step up to that role. Kaname spent a great deal of Blood Moon trying to save Zero from himself and now in a way, Zero is going to get to return that favor, just in a different manner. :)

It's a little difficult to answer that question without giving away too much that hasn't come out yet, but basically there are some things about this particular part of the past that Kaname knows and has always remembered, but there are some parts that he does not remember. Some of it is starting to come back to him due to reasons that have already been hinted at but will be made much more clear very soon and that is one of the things that is making him so unstable. (A little like how in the manga, Yuki started to freak out when her memories began coming back and she started seeing things she knew she should know, but didn't, etc.) The other reason for his current state is the situation he's grappling with over Mission Oil for related reasons that also have not come out yet but will soon.

To be honest, I haven't really decided in my own mind yet if either Kaname or Zero went all the way with Yuki before she died. They were definitely both her boyfriends for a while, so lots of kissing and making out, etc. but I haven't decided on the rest. If it serves a purpose in another story at some point, I may decide one way or the other, but otherwise I may just leave it up to each person's individual preferences and imagination on whether or not that happened.

Thank you very, very much for the review! :D

DivinityofDarkness: *signs for the delivery, eyes widening at the row of FedEx trucks trying to cram their way up our little street* Wow... *leans back in the door and calls back to her Fiancé* "Honey? I think we're going to need to get a bigger apartment, maybe someplace next to a storage facility..." XD LOL thanks! Whoop! thanks for catching the typo. Glad the goo is happy! *giggles and quickly offers it a box of chocolates just like Zero's* I'd give one of Zero's, but the boys have melted them and are currently... uh... licking melted chocolate off one another... *nosebleeds to death*

ROTFL! Now there we go, if Zero really wants to give Kaname some peace and quiet he should put Seiren and Izumi on the task of keeping people away... K: Hm, it's strange that I've not heard from anyone in over a month... Z: *innocent* Yeah, strange... now forget about that and come here, mm... S & I: hyaaa! *zealously chasing off random people who would bother Kaname* XD (and yes, Izumi's still around, but I don't know if I'll have call to mention her in this fic or not).

LOL yes, Zero's probably going to hate being mistaken for a school kid for the next however many years it takes him to slowly start looking a little older. ;D I don't know how many chapters this story is going to have yet, but it's quite possible it will be that many again. We'll see! Thank you very, very, VERY much!!!!

mercury.quicksilver: He is! *giggles* thank you!!

SkyChild: Thanks!! Well, LOL while I do think Kaname has both a sadistic and masochistic streak his problem there was definitely related to what's behind the door. :) More on that coming soon. :) Yes, poor both of them. Zero feeling all uncertain of himself and Kaname LOL well, actually feeling the same way, just for different reasons. Kaname needs to talk to Zero indeed... but at the same time, I don't think he has any idea what to say. I think part of the problem is that he doesn't know how to understand so much of what is troubling him right now himself, much less express it to anyone else. And you definitely hit it right on the head about the control issues. Mwahahah! Yes, of course Zero was wearing an apron, because I have decided such... *huge grin* Maybe he inherited the chairman's collection of them. XD *giggles* OMG, yes, him dressed in nothing but a frilly little apron... XD sheer nosebleed. Thank you!

Lenko: Thank you very much!! :D I know what you mean... I hate it when I'm stuck at work and really wanting to be reading something else... XD I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And oh no, don't worry, I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing that. My muse runs on sweet wonderful comments like yours, so they are not only appreciated but also very inspirational! :D

Yes! *dances* I wanted that feeling of comfort and domestic normality between them. I put them through so much in my stories (lol) that I like to show that in between all the angst fests they have settled down and made a nice life together for themselves, doing those comfy, every day things that couples do.

Yeah, Kaname not getting aroused by Zero is definitely a shocker all around! (and something that he fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, LOL!) isn't having so much trouble with this chapter XD) No, Kaname won't really hurt Zero like that, he would never let himself, although... *clamps hands over mouth to not give things away*. Yes, explanations for those feelings of his are also coming soon. As for the lemon or lemons... kind of yes, kind of no. ;D

I have the overall plot outline for the story and a number of important scenarios planned out, yes. With some exceptions, I don't usually know details like exactly what each chapter will contain or how some situations will end up playing out until I get to them though. Usually I have a fair idea of what the next chapter or two will entail at any given time, but sometimes it changes depending on how much the current chapter up and writes itself and sometimes the story develops new and unexpected twists or directions along the way too. It's probably a tremendously messy and chaotic way to write, but it seems to work for me. *has a chaotic and messy mind apparently* XD Actually, while writing this response, I had to stop just now because I suddenly got hit with a new idea for something in the next chapter, so I had to go quickly jot down notes for it and now I'm back again. Like I said.. chaotic... ;D I'm very much the "I'm not ADHD I'm just - oh look a chicken!" type. (Or in my case "Oh look hot yaoi sex!" XD).

LOL yes, Kaname is like that, it's so hard to stay annoyed with him because he's capable of being so darned sweet and hurts so much inside... *sends Zero to huggle him* LOL hey, bring on the "novel" reviews any time! I love 'em! Thank you sooo much!!

Darkness Dawn: Thank you! Actually you're quite right, if Kaname could bring himself to admit to Zero about those urges without being too afraid that it would make Zero think him a monster or afraid of him, etc. I think that Zero's finally to the point now where he could be pretty understanding of it, since he's experienced some pretty scary and unwanted feelings along that line as well. There's a possibility I may have a conversation like that somewhere along the line in this story, but I don't know if it will fit in / there will be time for it or not. Yup, so Zero there! :D And nope, I think your nicknames are adorable! :D An author, huh? Well, that would be fun. Don't know that I could cut it though, or if I could write anything other than Kaname and Zero... *chuckles* but hey, anything is possible, right? Thank you very much!

Eyes17k: Thank you!!!!! :D

HelloLish: Wow, without a computer? Not fun! Hopefully you are back with one now. :D Thank you!!!

YenGirl: Thanks! I'm glad you like Night Haven. I wanted some place that could really feel like "home" for them. You liked the sweetness! *bounces and points excitedly* YG likes my tender scenes! Coming from the queen of sweet tenderness, I take that as a very high compliment. ;)

ROTFL!! Yes, Kaname and Zero were filling those roles (some of which shall not be named... XD) very well there. Ah, domesticity. ;) Mwahaha!!! *imagines Zero finding that tiny little violet heart print apron in his closet and blowing a gasket... and then being unable to hide it from Kaname who insists on seeing him in it... and then insists on Zero wearing it (and only it!) while cooking dinner for them.* Somehow, I don't think dinner would ever get done... XD

Yes! *dances exuberantly* You caught the tie back to BM! I wanted to pull on that buried fear of Zero's that someday Kaname wouldn't want him anymore. Of course it's not really the case, not the way Zero fears it, but it does appear to be happening now... poor them!

Zero aroused and Kaname not - who ever imagined that day would come! XD I'm certain neither of them. But, fear not... *comforts the lemons sulking around her feet and messing up her carpet* lemonyness is coming next chappy... XD

Yes, I fear I am not nearly so good at describing food as you and I inevitably wonder if the food I think of as normal over here in the west would be too different from the food they would be eating given what we've seen of food in the manga, so I leave it to the imagination whatever it was Zero cooked for Kaname for dinner. I'm sure it was good though. :D

I couldn't agree more. This part of Kaname's past (and all the hurt and erraticness on his part as a result) couldn't have come out any sooner or it would have caused major issues and blown them apart in some severe ways. They needed to be at a point where both of them could be fairly certain of each other's love. And yup, being a couple does go beyond just the physical. Sometimes it is just enjoying being together and doing all the little every day things. :) Plus, I like being able to show how they've grown in their relationship so that they're not entirely letting things completely build up until they explode between them anymore either. Even if it's nowhere close to full resolution, they do talk a little and come to understandings along the way, which is a much more healthy way to be, even when they have an angst loving author intent on making their lives hell, poor things. XD

Mwahaha! Yes, our dear Zero is growing up starting to get a little bolder like attempting to be (adorably!) seductive sometimes. :D *also drools*

Make out in a cell... *nosbleeds and drools* Well I don't know about the officers, but *I* would love to see that someday! *giggles*

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

XquidditchxbeaterX: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree, he's definitely too harsh on himself sometimes. LOL and yes, too bad except that would tend to kill the tension in the story! *chuckles* But of course, it will come out eventually... :)

KATZUNITED-MEOW: LOL it is... *sweet sigh* thank you!! *hugs back*

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thank you very much!!

Nineorchids: Thank you!

broken-Angel-requiem-Soul: If he could stand to be away from Zero that long, I bet he would. Betcha that would make him unravel much faster though, being away from Zero completely like that... :)

Interstella: Thank you so much! Hope you caught up on your sleep! :)

Ebony-Knight: Thanks you!!!

Isabela Nobre: Thank you for the review! *beams* I'm delighted you're enjoying the stories. Your English sounds just fine to me, and I'm happy if the fics could be helpful too! I love Kaname and Zero as well *happy sigh*. Thank you very much!

Finally, an update! Sorry about the long wait, folks. Hopefully I can make up for it with a nice little (ha! little = entire chapter apparently) lemon. ;D There will be some spillover lemony action in the next chapter as well, along with some hopefully revealing further insight into why Kaname's so tied up in knots over the current situation that will probably answer a few questions, and create more LOL. So hang in there for that. ;)

Review Responses for Chapter 5 of "Secrets in the Dark":

Hanamaru: Thanks!

stallion14: LOL! Well hopefully this chapter made the cliffie worth it. ;D Thanks!

roro237: Well they didn't quite make it all the way back there... ;D Thanks! I'm so glad you like that name. :D

The Musician's Quill: *glomps back* Thank you!!! Hope college prep is going well. :)

xXxDarkenedAngelxXx: Yeah, I do that sometimes too. Thanks!

WindStar: Thank you very much!!

crimsoneyes44: Thanks! And I will as soon as my muse starts cooperating, honest. :)

UchihaxSasukexox: Well, Kaname definitely had a moment there, but fortunately there was no stopping things this time. ;) LOL well, they kinda traded off seme back and forth a little in this one. Kaname ended up more so in this chapter, although wait about a chapter LOL and we'll have the reverse be true... *rolls her eyes at the happy lemons bouncing around her feet who keep jumping into the story* Thanks!

Lenko: LOL! Glad to save you from studying anytime... ;D Thanks!!! Yes, don't worry, for the most part Zero's thoughts about that were just passing. Although they may play in a little later too, and in a way he's going to get to see why it actually isn't true and he's definitely the best person for Kaname. :) Ah... *grins at your picking up on that* yes, that crystal cube will be making another appearance eventually, it is something a little important, as we'll see eventually. :D

Thank you soooooo much!!! *bounces* LOL that was both fun and frustrating to write too, so I'm glad it felt that way. Yes, Zero was definitely missing that Kaname, but, uh... at least he got a good dose of him this chapter. ;) I have a lot of fun thinking up all those little plausible reasons for vampire stuff, so thank you very much for mentioning that, it makes me very happy that you like them!

Not to worry, the lemon did go fairly well I think, with minimal angst for the most part. :) Um... *offers angst resistant armor for next chapter though*. Yeah... *coos and huggles her plushies of the two boys* it is fun and sweet to see how their relationship has evolved, isn't it? I'm glad you like that there's no set dominance in their relationship either, it goes both ways at different times. And yes, Zero's definitely going to get the chance to protect Kaname in this fic. :) Yeah, I enjoy it when someone successfully bluffs their way through like that too! LOL

Thank you very much for saying that about the talking, etc. *hugs* I'm glad it doesn't feel like too much. You're very right, I am trying to go for a slightly different kind of angst in this fic and it is requiring a lot of explanation and set up. Yup! Rest assured, more action to come. :) Thank you!!!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and it wasn't too angsty or painful either *gasp*. Thanks so much!

SkyChild: Yay! I mean, oh, I'm sorry... ;D *sends you several bottles of lemon juice* Yes, I'm afraid you're right and the worst is yet to come, but not just yet, fortunately. :)

catlover28: Thanks!!

Eyes17k: Thank you!!

Im-the-best: Thank you very much, I'm so happy that you've liked all the stories! Thank you for reviewing and letting me know, I appreciate it! Don't worry, your English sounded fine to me and I understood perfectly. Thanks again!!

Dira11: LOL! Sorry! ;D Here's more now! Thanks!!

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thank you!

HelloLish: Thanks!!! :D

Chemical-euphoria: Hehe thanks!!

Faithful Cherry Blossom: They are! ;D Thanks!

YenGirl: Thank you!! *grins happily at all the pink hearts floating around* Yup, it's so true, it totally doesn't matter that Zero isn't a pureblood, he and Kaname couldn't love each other anymore than they do! *giggles and nods in agreement about the spitting and pounding* that's right! LOL no, sometimes those we love the most are not always the easiest to live with, but fortunately it's worthwhile. :) *happy sigh* and you're right, it is very easy to love this pureblood. And this hunter too! ;D

Don't worry, you'll get to get a better look at that little cube later, and yes, it is significant, or will be later. *huggles you tightly for noticing* :D Yup, I'd say Zero was definitely Kaname's hero there, it was so good of him to want to be with Kaname like that, and just when Kaname needed him the most, too! :D

Heheh! yup, Kaname definitely has rubbed off on Zero in that way, our dear hunter is a little bolder and more mischievous now, even if still endearingly the same shy sweetheart at other times. *grins and crawls under the table with Yen to watch* Yes, I think too much abstinence for those two is definitely dangerous. ;D Leads them into all kinds of interesting situations when they finally just can't take it anymore. XD

Yes, who cares where indeed?! *also happily follows them into the men's restroom and brings a ladder since she knows they're going into the stall shortly. Tosses Yen a construction worker's hat and puts one on herself as she climbs up the ladder* We'll pretend we're fixing something on the ceiling if anyone comes in, see? XD Thank you sooooo much!!!!!

KATZUNITED-MEOW: LOL! Yup... *shakes her head at them* thanks!

Isabela Nobre: It is rare, which made it so much more fun... :D Thanks!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

charlie-becks: Thank you!!

XquidditchxbeaterX: Thanks! Yeah, sometimes the more you want to be alone, the harder it is... but of course, they worked that issue out their own way... XD *cough* There weren't too many problems this chapter I don't think, so yay! And nope, I think they're safely past that point. :) Thanks again!

Eilara: LOL I know what you mean... ;) Thank you!!

Sunless: Thank you!!

VaneCaos: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and felt it was needed. It was fun to delve a little into Zero's life with the hunters. I'm glad you liked that glimpse. I completely understand, I love seeing and imagining how the details of the VK world might work, etc. too. If my inspiration holds out I have ideas for a future story that would have a lot to do with the hunters and Zero's involvement with them, the issues with his dual nature, and his close ties to Kaname, etc. LOL, yes, angst and suffering do seem to be a hobby for our poor boys. XD Ah, but yes, at least they have finally come so far that Zero can realize he misses Kaname. :) And I have to agree, Zero on a bike = sheer drool. 8D* Thank you sooo much!! *hugs*

Maydn: Thank you very much! I'm glad it didn't seem boring or anything. :) I kind of think that Zero might run into a lot of issues like that in the beginning with the hunters. I mean, it can't be all that easy for everyone to accept having someone who is also part of the 'enemy' working alongside them. *chuckles* yup, those little lemons do like to hop in every now and again! I'm not sure if this story will have them coming out as a couple. Probably that secrecy will need to remain a while longer, but who knows? I've already acquired several new plot twists since I started writing, so anything is possible. ;) Thanks again for the review!

TenajHguoh: Thank you!! I'm so happy that you like them!!

Thank all for the reviews! *huggles each and every one happily* They are much appreciated! On a totally random note, its hilarious when Gmail tries to make sense of my review alert emails. You know how it has those targeted ads on the side and the top that try to vary to be relevant to the content of the email? Well, while reading through the reviews for this chapter, it was displaying all these home remodeling and cooking ads that puzzled me, until I realized that it was probably keying off of all the "bathroom" and "lemon" references! *snickers and is somehow really amused to be messing with her email program's little brain*

Review Responses for Chapter Six of "Secrets in the Dark":

stallion14: LOL yes, and it spilled over into this chapter too. O_o LOL Thanks!!

HelloLish: Thank you!!

narutofan1491: Thanks!!! :D

SinsRose: Glad you liked it! LOL where next...? I don't know, but I'm sure they could eventually come up with something even more kinky given enough time... *giggles* Thanks!

roro237: Thank you so much!! Yes, I think this was good for him, and we'll see what happens. Ah yes, why is Takuma in there? hmm... mystery deepens... ;D *hugs* thanks!

Nineorchids: Thank you! I'm definitely enjoying trying to drop little clues without being too obvious, so I'm glad that you find them interesting! I'd say that your guess is pretty good, although of course I won't say more than that right now. 0:) We get some more concrete info in this chapter finally that will probably start to make things form a hazy first impression of part of what might have happened, but there's some twists yet to come. ;) LOL yes, I think he could say that! ;) Thanks again!

darkHeartedAngel26: Thank you!!

Darkness Dawn: Thanks! LOL! Mwahaha... *giggles as she watches the boys play 'doctor'* No, my stories diverged from the Manga before we found out about the Ancestor thing, so in my back story that does not exist. Kaname is just Kaname, without that added confusion. LOL which is probably a good thing as I give the poor boy plenty of other trauma to deal with. XD Although you're right in a way, the memory clash he's experiencing in this fic is probably somewhat similar in feeling to what would happen with the Ancestor memories in the manga. But for very different reasons. :)

xXxDarkenedAngelxXx: LOL! Well I like it! Freezing hot... ;D I'm glad you like the feeling that who takes who is always up in the air. ;D Yup, Zero this time, wait a chapter or so, and it will reverse... XD LOL yes, the whole public place / fear of discovery thing definitely adds to the kink factor ;D. *adores those two so much* LOL yeah, I'd want to see those tapes too!! *sigh...* ;D Thank you very much!!

YenGirl: Yay! Thank you!!!! I'd say they both enjoyed themselves rather thoroughly... *glances at current chapter* ah... maybe a little too thoroughly *giggles*. Yes, Zero's so precious to Kaname that he even loves his grousing! *smiles* But do stop teasing him so Kaname... *shakes her head and pats poor flushed, needy Zero affectionately, placing her life in severe danger*

LOL! no, not much chance he was going to forget about that... ;) Glad you liked all the banter and word play between them. :) *tries to steady the wobbling ladder*

*hums unhelpfully regarding the issue of the past and Takuma's involvement* Sorry, not many hints I can give that would make sense just yet, but everything will become clear with time... :) And yes, our dear hunter has come a long away from then! *beams at him* They both have :) (is off-topically amused by the fact that Word thinks it's an error every time I say "dear hunter" because it thinks it should be deer instead... XD)

ROTFL! Yes, definitely Kaname's fault there. *giggles* but although Zero may complain, can't say he really minds. ;) Um... *blinks innocently and hides current chapter behind her slightly* Er... well, emotionally, Kaname was very gentle and loving with Zero. Physically... *cough* there may be some fallout. Although there is a definite reason I wanted things to unfold like this, one that will end up being quite important to Zero's understanding and Kaname's sanity and will make sense later in the story. *slips her 'clues' notebook back in her pocket*

Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed it!!!

WindStar: Thanks! The guy on the cell phone left without noticing anything. I did mention it in there, in passing... *looks up the line* Ah, here it is: "Can't... breathe... here..." he panted softly in dry amusement as he pressed back against Kaname. His voice was low but less guarded than before because they'd both heard cell phone man leave a few moments earlier. Ah, as for what happened to Kaname and Takuma's involvement... you'll just have to keep reading. :)

Lenko: *beams* Thank you!!! It's so fun to imagine them together like that, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and could appreciate the humorous bits too! ;) Yup, they're very well matched there. LOL very true, I don't think they've had such a close call in a public place since that time in CD. Zero has indeed evolved veeery much since then I'd say! Definitely less shy and so much more trusting and comfortable with Kaname. *happy sigh*

Oh ho ho! The mystery is doing its job then? Excellent! :D Errrr.... I mean... so sorry! ;D Yup, out of context all of that really does make no sense which is part of what is troubling Kaname so much and making him so unstable. I think the mystery is starting to get to him too. ;) UM... *sweatdrop* I really can't answer any of those exact questions at this moment without giving too much away, but there is definitely a big chunk of useful information in the current chapter that will help start setting the picture up a little. :) And we'll be finding out more about the cube in a couple of chapters.

LOL yeah, you probably are going to be feeling that way for a while... although Kaname is going to tell Zero a few things soon, just not everything. As for CD, it was actually a bit of a combo of both. For one thing, I was still fairly new at writing and I wasn't entirely confident about writing a lot of yaoi scenes, or whether people were going to like them or hate them ;D. (As opposed to now, when I think I write too many LOL) At the time and given where I was at with trying to move the story along, I didn't feel a need to get too deeply into Kaname's thoughts on it. I also already had the vague idea for this story kicking around in my head. I realized it would be a long time before I got to it, if I ever did, so, as you said, it would have made no sense to the readers at that time if I had gone that direction. I also didn't want to say anything then that would cause continuity errors later since I didn't know entirely where I wanted to go with it yet. Who knows, maybe sometime after this story is finished, or further along, I should go back and write a one-shot of Kaname's perspective on the first time Zero took him, that would be kind of fun.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the humor there! XD And that you're enjoying the story and the mystery and all! :)

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thank you!

KATZUNITED-MEOW: Thanks!! LOL yeah... although it was probably good for him that he didn't, or someone was bound to wipe his memory... XD

Eyes17k: I love that song too! Thanks!

DiaSuru: Thank you!! LOL! *giggles at the cat*

Hanamaru: Thanks so much!

Maydn: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I wanted the resurfacing trauma to be complex in nature, so I'm very pleased that you said that! :) LOL yes, you just have to love the thought of Kaname getting out of a speeding ticket like that... XD . *beams* I'm delighted you like 'my' Kaname. I enjoy imagining and trying to write him in action in business/politics/pureblood coolness modes. ;) And of course, the little vampire info snippets are so much fun to think about and include too. Thank you so much!

catlover28: Thanks!!

Isabela Nobre: Thank you very much! :D I'm so happy you're enjoying the story and the mystery! Your English seemed just fine to me! Thank you for reviewing, I hope you continue to enjoy as the story and the mystery both unfold. :)

Im-the-best: Thanks! I'm so complimented by what you said! *blushes* I do have some ideas for Ichiru in the future. Since he's still alive and out there in my stories, if I keep writing long enough it is definitely inevitable that he'll make another appearance. :) Not in this story, but in the future. We'll see what happens! Thanks again. :)

*giggles* I know about those ads! I kept having this 'Zero temperature' ad that was engineering-related and when I wrote an earlier chapter of TOHOM, fried rice recipes kept popping up! *giggles again* As for 'deer hunter'? *blinks* Nope, Word, Vani got it right and we all much prefer 'dear'! :D

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!! :D You know, although our boys have their issues with one another in this chapter, I think we can see how far they have already come in their relationship. Part of the test of a good relationship is how they handle the bumps after all, I think. :)

Review Responses for Chapter 7 of Secrets in the Dark:

catlover28: Thank you very much!

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thanks!!

WindStar: Thanks! Yup, good guess! And no worries, all those questions shall definitely be answered in time as things continued to unfold. :)

roro237: Yes, we understand a little better now the strain poor Kaname's been under. Thanks! LOL and I'm glad you liked the snail line! ;D

HelloLish: Thanks!

Isabela Nobre: Yes, those are very good questions! Ones we shall come to the answers of eventually. :) I think you're very right, of course Zero wouldn't hate him or leave him if he knew what had happened, but sometimes when you're the one hurting it's hard to see past your own fears and guilt. *wants to hug them both* Thank you so much! I'm delighted that you're enjoying it!!!

irmina: Yes, that is a question that will be revealed eventually. And nope, he never does seem to have enough of him. ;D Thanks!

kanshou87: Yay! And Happy Very Late Birthday! XD;; That's right, Kaname, you listen to her! Zero would never do that!! *sighs* But of course, Kaname feels that it is kind of his fault, even though it wasn't. *shakes head* LOL *ducks javelin* well here's the next chapter now! *writes herself a memo to get a shield for any future cliffies...* ;D Thank you!!

zerokanda: Yes, he would and yes, he should, but I guess the poor thing is dealing with a lot right now. Well, he kinda told Zero something this chapter, although not exactly the truth. But don't worry, the truth will come out eventually. Yup, and Zero is definitely going to get a chance to help in many ways! :D LOL Thanks!!!

Lenko: Thank you so, sooo much! :D *beams happily* Sorry about the suspense, but, um... yes, it is kind of meant to do that, so... *smiles guiltily and hides* thanks! I'm glad you like the little humor bits sprinkled in there, I shall definitely continue to try to do that! :) Yes, Zero does have a real friend in Aido now :D and yes! Aido will be showing up in this fic sometime in the near future actually. Right about the time that the plot thickens again... *smiles innocently*.

LOL where do I come up with it? Uhh... out of my twisted and bizarre little brain. Actually, here's how that line happened: I wanted Zero to call Kaname something like a nympho, and then proceeded to spend almost half an hour searching online trying to find a male equivalent of the term. However, it seems to be the general consensus that all guys fit that description, so no special name needs to be applied to it. ;) Anyway, there wasn't a satisfactory male version, so I decided to have Zero go with my first thought, and then, because of the other thing earlier, I thought it seemed natural that if he did, Kaname would comment on it and it would be more amusing that way anyway. :) So now you know my whole convoluted thought process on that... or you do if you haven't poked your eyes out with a spoon and gone stark raving mad trying to follow my weirdness, anyway. ;D

Thanks! I'm happy you agree about the control issues. I definitely think that that's a need they both have. And thanks, I'm glad you don't think I write too many lemons! XD Yup, the Nasser despising may definitely commence! *stomps on him* I'm glad you like the little twist in the set up of how things came to be in the past (LOL and the role in which Yuki's death plays in XD). We'll get an even better understanding of what exactly happened back then in a while.

No, Kaname wasn't thinking of Zero there, and believe me, he feels terrible about it too. ;) Even though Kaname didn't confess the full truth, a sort of version of it has come out now and you were right on the money about Zero's reaction. Poor them. And yup, the mystery of Takuma's involvement continues... Thank you sooooooooooo much for the lovely review, you left me with a huge, bouncy smile, as usual!! :D *hugs*

abstractular: Yes, he is... *sniffles and hugs him too* ROTFL! And yes, that's a great description of Nasser. XD Well, um, thanks!! I'm glad you hate him. ;D Thanks so much!!!!

Dira11: Thanks! And I wouldn't worry too much, our boys have each other now, and that will make a lot of difference in the present versus the past. :) Thank you!

DiaSuru: LOL yup! You're so right... ;D And ack, yes, the future is definitely shifting and somewhat sinister right now. Thanks so much!

VaneCaos: No worries at all! I'm just happy that you're enjoying it and very pleased to hear your thoughts whenever you have time to share them.

Yay! I'm glad that you can tell that it's all building up to a bigger picture, that's what I want it to do, so *whew*! You were quite right about Nasser there, and thanks! He is unfortunately very clever. We'll definitely be seeing how he and Nasser first met a little later on. :)

*beams happily* thank you so much! I am very fond of that bit of duality in our boys - how they are indeed growing up and maturing, even beyond their years, but yet they are in fact still young, especially in vampire terms, where they are actually very young.

I'm glad you liked the introduction of the pheromones and such. Yes, it does show the deeper level of trust between them now, and it is fun to introduce a little novelty into the situation given how many lemons I've written for them. ;D And I also wanted to introduce it now so that we'll understand how it works later in the fic when there will be some instances where that understanding will prove important.

One of your fantasies, eh? *huge grin* well cool! *bounces* Yeah, I was tempted to put the two scenes together too, but I was afraid the chapter would end up too long. Plus... *cough* I didn't expect the lemon in the last chapter to take up quite so much space. LOL It was supposed to be a footnote to the previous action, but everything in this story seems to be on steroids and takes its own sweet time to unfold on the page. XD

*hugs tightly and quickly makes sure the floor is squeaky clean* ;D Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!! I really appreciate it. And like I said before, no worries at all, I completely understand how it is with life. Thanks!!

Claretgirl0: Yes, don't worry. Kaname and Zero will always eventually have a happy ending in my stories. They may go through hell to get there sometimes LOL but I am a completely firm believer in everything eventually working out. :)

KATZUNITED-MEOW: Thanks! Yup, lots of questions still, but there will be more answers coming. :)

Nineorchids: Yes, it was very traumatic the poor thing. I think you're very right, he definitely doesn't need any more leverage against him... we'll see what happens! ;D Thanks!!!

SkyChild: ROTFL! Yeah, me to!!! LOL and yup!

Qiieer: Well I can't give away what happens of course, but yes, Zero will definitely have a chance to be that for Kaname. ;D

DeepWaterBlack: Yes, he does have a lot on his mind poor thing. Thanks so much!

Maydn: LOL! *coughs and grins* Thanks! :D And yes, suspense is fun...! Or I think so anyway. ;) Ooh, yes, I like the tactile descriptions you were bringing out there, see, now you're suddenly making me want to go back and describe the bathroom in more detail. *chuckles* Although I don't think our boys probably remember much about it. XD But you're quite right, that's the same way I imagined it looking too.

Yup! The plot keeps thickening... *tries to hide the starch* I think it may be jello before all is said and done! Conspiracy indeed... *knowing smile* Hm, yeah, I think you you're probably right, it might have been better to cut the chapter off at the end of the phone call. I just wasn't sure if it would make it confusing to jump back to the present again with the start of this chapter, but it probably wouldn't have been. Although this chapter has ended up monster length again. *rolls eyes at herself*

Yeah, I agree it would have been fun to see more of Kaname working on the deal, but I felt I needed to move things on and get people a few answers sooner rather than later so everyone was more in on what was going on. Didn't want to stress anyone's patience with my enjoyment of the details LOL. However, everything isn't quite said or done yet - the deal is still in the works and things are still not turning out quite like they are supposed to (as we see in this chapter) so we will get to see a tiny bit more of that at least.

You are very welcome, I'm so glad that you enjoy my (probably rambly and incoherent) responses! :D It takes me around 4 to 5 hours sometimes to work through them all, so it can be a bit time intensive! But it's totally worth it, I really enjoy and treasure each review so much and I want people to know that. It is very special to me when people comment and review, it's a large part of what feeds my muse and fuels my desire to write. So thank you! :) *hugs tightly* Very, very, VERY much!!

YenGirl: LOL well, if we can't get the hospitals to supply us anymore, I guess we could always try that new blood energy drink! *snickers* Hehe yes, Zero is quite adorable that way, isn't he? Yes, I'll have to think about trying to do a little fic with that drinking contest sometime maybe. *grins* That would be fun. And yes, even if it was accidental... he definitely enjoyed it! *grins at dear devious pureblood*

*quickly hurries to steady the ladder, grinning broadly* Yay! I'm glad you liked all the cute / embarrassing conversation there. I thought you might... ;) Yeah, they are both very individual and they both have a need for control, but they work very well together I'd say. :D LOL I think you're right, somehow even a giggle from Kaname would manage to sound regal. He's one of those people who is always kind of quiet and composed, you know? So it really makes one have fun imagining what would ever happen if he truly got smashing drunk sometime and was being silly... Uh... probably ONLY in front of Zero. Oh yes, yes indeed, I think Zero does feel pretty special. And oh my yes, somehow getting out of clothing when in that kind of state is a million times harder than putting it on was. And yes, Kaname may not have been fully vamped out, but he was pretty close at least on the passionate side. He really did need Zero, for all the reasons you said so well! :)

Yes, I have a feeling that before this fic is over we may have to start a line for people wanting to decapitate, maim and otherwise cause bodily harm to Nasser LOL. Kaname was indeed far too young to have come up against Nasser last time, poor thing. A little older than that though, more like around 13 or so probably, because I sat down and tried to figure it out and I think that somewhere around 5 years have passed in my fics since the start of Crimson Door which was off the Manga timeline. So in the present, Kaname and Zero are probably around 23-ish and 22-ish, respectively. But I try not to go into exact times and ages because of the whole uncertain muddle about how vampire years actually compare to human ones. ;D

Yes, I can't really comment on who is behind it yet of course, but stirring up the mystery and memories of Yuki's death is pretty much guaranteed to be angsty and emotionally charged for both our boys. *wants to hug them and looks around for her plushies instead who quickly run and hide under the bed*

*soft smile* Zero does love and support his pureblood I'd say. Even when he's hurt and ticked like in this chapter, he's not leaving Kaname in any doubt that he loves him, which Kaname really needs right now. :) Thank you so much!! *huggles and sends lots of tissues*

Ebony-Knight: LOL nope! It doesn't! ;D *giggles* oops! What, me? Doing to you? *tries to look innocent* Thank you!!

Im-the-best: Well I can't comment on the future, but yes, unfortunately this situation is causing Kaname a lot of conflict with Zero. But they'll work through it. LOL and um, yes, Zero's going to be a lot sore. ;) Wow, really? I am so complimented that the fics could help you come to like our dear pureblood too and that you prefer them like that! wow! Thank you!!! LOL *hides from your mom* Hehe oops, corrupted another one, did I?

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews!! :D As always, you all inspire me so much! We get a little bit of action in this chapter and some interesting little wrinkles too... :) Once again, the chapter is way too long. *chuckles* I'm afraid I'm running short on time today and I really want to get this posted before I have to leave, so if my review responses are a little shorter than usual, that's why. But please know that I enjoyed and treasured each and every wonderful word! :)

Review Responses for Chapter 8 of "Secrets in the Dark"

Withered Black Rose: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!! Thank you for reviewing and sharing your thoughts!! :)

madameshadowenn: Thank you very much! I put a lot of thought and effort into developing the plots of these stories, so I really appreciate what you said. :)

Chemical-euphoria: LOL yes, I'm alive... even if it doesn't always feel like it. ;) And yup, we got more action this chapter! Thanks!!

catlover28: Thank you very much!

Sunless: Thanks!! :)

Sagakure: Thank you!! LOL and yes, that will be a fun part. *grins hugely* It's finally coming up now in the next chapter *smiles at the end of this chapter*. No worries, I've been completely out of time for a while *hugs tightly looks in dismay at her huge backlog of owed reviews*. I hope that life is letting you have a little time to relax! I miss you girl. *hugs and clings* and I'm glad you liked that CD! Yeah, it's so full of moe! :D

starberries bite: Thanks!!

kanshou87: Thank you! :)

Lenko: Thanks! LOL I'm glad you never feel the chapters are too long because, uh, this is another long 'un! Yes, Takuma will be appearing in this fic, and we will eventually find out more about what his involvement with the situation ended up being. One thing I can set your mind at ease over is that he didn't intentionally do anything to hurt Kaname, but everything else will have to wait for its proper time to come out I'm afraid. :) *ducks and hugs* Yay! I'm glad you liked that line. *beams* Yeah, Zero was actually very understanding with Kaname last chapter. I think he might have been a lot angrier if he hadn't been seeing over the past few days just how messed up over this all Kaname was. If Kaname had just been all normal and calm and like: oh yeah, and Zero? I might have to let someone drink my blood if they win this bet... that probably would have made our dear hunter go off like a rocket, but I think because it was obvious how distressed over everything Kaname was, it was easier for Zero to try to understand and forgive him. And no worries on that one at least, Zero came back fine from his mission. :) Once again, please don't apologize!! I LOVE your not short reviews! LOL ;) *hugs*

irmina: Yes, I think Kaname is grateful for that, and I think he does want to be honest with Zero, but he's just so afraid, poor thing. It will all come right eventually though. :) Thank you!

DeepWaterBlack: ROTFL!!!! *giggles at the scene and quickly lets Chibi-Kaname hide under her desk* Yes, I think Zero has been handling this whole situation in a very mature manner. It's good because Kaname really needs that from him. You need stability in your partner when your world is falling apart. ;) Thank you!!

KATZUNITED-MEOW: Yes, they do, poor him! Fortunately, nothing really bad happened to Zero this chapter *whew* (I *cough* considered it, but decided we didn't really need any more angst just at the moment... ;D) Thanks!

SakuraGirl25: Thank you so much! I'm delighted that you're liking it, and that you enjoyed the way the discussion/argument unfolded and all. Thank you for reviewing! And YUM... *eats the toppings* ;D Er, I mean, updated! ;D

Darkness Dawn: Tipsy and listening to MSI, sounds like a winning combination to me! ;) LOL!! *gives chocolates to the chibis to cheer them up* You're right, that is just about exactly how it works! XD Ooh, you're right about Ichiru too... *cheers for your plot bunnies* Yes, fortunately Zero had enough of Kaname's blood to set him mostly right, and he didn't get into *too* much trouble during his hunt. *whew* (I know, I actually gave our boys a little break on that one, unbelievable, isn't it?) ;D Thank you so much!!

WindStar: Thank you, thank you!!!

HelloLish: Yes! *sniff* Thanks!

Im-the-best: Thank you! *sends tissues* Yes, so much pain they're going through... *shakes head* And you are completely right of course, Zero will have several very important roles to play in all of this! :D Well you were right, it wasn't a simple task, BUT Zero did return mostly unscathed, so yay! They finally caught a bit of a break. LOL Thank you again!!

Faithful Cherry Blossom: Thank you! :)

Nineorchids: LOL okay! *updates* ;D Wow, thanks! :D Er... sorry you couldn't sleep though... *starts distributing sleep meds with her stories* :D

Toxic Hathor: *high five* Well it sounds like you have awesome taste in music too then! ;D *giggles* Thank you!! The title of this fic was mostly indirectly inspired by Linkin Park's "Easier to Run" but I also love that it relates to "Whispers" because I LOVE that song and it also works really well for this fic. :) Thanks again!!

Maydn: Thank you very much! I'm so glad you liked the descriptions and all, and the business details. Yes, it definitely involves some research because I'm more like Zero than Kaname when it comes to the business world LOL so I'm very glad it seemed believable! :) And oh yes, I think it will get very interesting indeed when Zero starts to find out more. Thank you thank you thank you!

Dira11: LOL! Aw, thank you!! Well, if I ever actually do write a book of anything (I could dream LOL) I will definitely let you know! ;) Thank you sooooooooooooo much! *hugs*

Ebony-Knight: LOL yes, so true! ;) Thanks!

Isabela Nobre: Thank you!! :)

Kitsune Demon Girl: We shall see...! :)

YenGirl: LOL Well I certainly couldn't blame you for that! Zero was a definite sweetheart last chapter. He's been very understanding, patient and caring with Kaname through this whole thing, even when he doesn't know what's going on or why Kaname's acting so weird. It's been kind of hard on Zero, but even if he doesn't realize it, he is being exactly what Kaname needs. Kaname needs that caring, understanding stableness in him right now so much. *sweet, angsty sigh*

ROTFL!! *pulls Nassar's head over for you to hit* Here ya go! ;D I'm sooooo glad you liked that whole scene there and that line. :) I was very emotionally involved in it while I was writing those parts, so I'm really happy that it comes through strong. Oy! Our poor, poor boys! And you're right, there's so much meaning underlying that one line, so many layers to it. Hehehe *wishes that Zero would accept the ice for that tender burning spot but kind of doubts he will...* ;D And yes, Kaname almost forgetting to do that definitely showed how out of it and messed up he was. :S

You're very right, it will take quite a jolt to finally trigger the full confession... *stocks up on tissues* LOL and yeah, it did make it more real that Kaname was all kind of tripping over his tongue there in attempting to reassure Zero on that point. :D LOL! And I think that's the exact same thing that Kaname struggles with - wanting to bring Zero more fully into his world and yet being afraid that because of the unusual nature of their relationship, it will hurt him. XD Yes, it is my fault I suppose. ;) But it actually worked out kind of good in its own way. Hm, you know, I'm not really sure about the secret panel. I'm going to guess that Zero added it later when he was kind of personalizing the rooms to his needs, etc. But naturally, it's not a secret from Kaname. :) ROTFL!!!!!! hehehe Yes! *coughs* yes, he will indeed welcome Zero back with open everything... XD XD *giggles helplessly and hugs*

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!! *hugs everyone* Hope you don't mind a little *cough* or a lot *cough* more lemony-ness on the horizon... 0:)

Review Responses for Chapter 9 of "Secrets in the Dark"

fahaar: LOL thanks! Well I'd *like* to marry them... oh, you meant to each other and not me? LOL darn. ;D Well yeah, I agree, that would be sweet! :)

Bassoonbg: Thank you! I'm glad you don't mind the long chapters and I appreciate your saying that! I do intend to use the hunter tags again, not sure if it will be super important again in this story or not, but I do have plans for it in another story, if I remain inspired and writing on this series. :)

Ebony-Knight: Aw, thank you so much!! *hugs*

Arribean: Thank you!! I should feel guilty about making you neglect your other stuff, but... *is awful* I'm so glad you like the stories! *hugs*

roro237: Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!! I love slowly building up a plotline and watching it play out. :D

KATZUNITED-MEOW: Thank you!!! Glad you liked the chapter title hehe and the naughty lemons! ;)

YenGirl: *squees happily and waggles her eyebrows at Jeffrey Archer and Dan Brown* Hey, you should be afraid, YG thinks I could give you a run for your money!! *JA and DB look supremely unconcerned so BW thumbs her nose at them and continues to live happily in dream world* XD Aww, *huggles* thank you! And thanks for the (as always!!) awesome review! :D

I'm really glad that you liked the whole business with the tags, I thought it sounded plausible. We haven't gotten to see a lot of the HA in the manga, but one has to figure that with an operation like theirs there ought to be some kind of order in place to let hunters recognize one another, etc. I find it fun to try and imagine little details like that about how they might operate. When you think about it, they run a global operation comprised of trained individuals, many of whom probably are "minute men" so to speak who live other, "ordinary" lives and respond when called upon (since I can't imagine that the HA has the funds to support all the hunters full time without them needing other jobs, etc. Actually, I have yet to figure out where the HA would get any money from at all LOL). So I'm sure there's a lot of tradition and customs that go into how they perform their work in order to keep a disparate group like that cohesive. ... or I might be totally over thinking it. LOL but it's fun, either way. :D

*grins at the music and strobe lights* well, you know... Zero's so dang good at what he does, I have to find some way to make it a little trickier for him. ;D Yes! Zero's definitely come a long way and is definitely much more comfortable and proficient with his vines now. On a small totally unimportant side note, I find it kind of interesting to think of Zero using them a bit like a garrote sometimes, because in both the manga and anime when they showed Zero and Ichiru's parents in "hunter mode" briefly, his mom apparently favored a razor wire as a weapon.

Mwahahah oh yes, definitely can't help but think that Kaname's probably meddled in Zero's missions in the past - he's just clever enough to keep it pretty well hidden. ;D I love that you thought that too! Ooo, and I can't wait for more of HMN!! LOL glad you liked the "i" words too! ;)

*chuckles* er... well... yeah, while Kaname is starting to think maybe he really should tell Zero someday, I don't think he was in any real danger of doing so that night, no matter what Zero had answered in regards to the Pandora query. Kaname's kind of stuck at the stage of deep down knowing he needs to tell Zero before the peanut butter hits the fan, but still too ashamed and afraid, and there's the issue of him not being sure that *he* actually knows the whole truth anymore, so right now, his quandary is more whether or not he is ready to find out what he has made himself forget.

LOL yeah, the lemons look reeeeeaaaly happy right now... ;) Thank you!!!!!

Sagakure: Thank you!!!! I understand about being busy *makes a face at life* but I hope things aren't too crazy for you. ROTFL! Glad you like that mix of desire and apprehension - there's a WHOLE lot of it in this chapter. :D *coughs* and the next chapter... XD I write so dang loooooong that we don't even get fully into the whole "punishment" bit until next chapter, but hopefully this one will be enjoyable and the next one as well. *thinks that the lemons will be quite worn out after two whole chapters worth of action*. ;) *bounces and hugs*

VaneCaos: LOL I know what you mean about writing at work... *always wishes that her screen didn't face the doorway of her cube* ;) Thank you! I'm glad you like the "good" angst! You're completely right on about their feelings, and why they are hurting now - it is indeed because they love each other so much. But in the end that is also what heals and saves them both as well. :)

Yes, I definitely did have that multi-layered meaning in mind for the "don't walk away from me when I can't follow" phrase. I'm so happy that you picked up on it! I also agree about showing Kaname and Zero in their respective worlds, complete with the necessary business, social, economical, political backdrops. While those elements might be boring by themselves, I think that when used as a backdrop or to further the plot of a story, they can add a lot of depth and interest. I like it when I read stories like that anyway (like the one of yours that I was able to read!!) so thank you, I'm glad they come through that way when I'm writing them too. :)

Oh no! I hate it when I delete or lose a review after I've written it. *hugs*

LOL no, you're quite right, in good stories nothing ever happens randomly. :) You had cleaning teams too? That's awesome! I agree, it would be a lot of fun to see more fics dealing with how the Hunter's Association works, it's dealings with the vampire world, etc. LOL the Mafia, huh? You know, I think that's actually a really good comparison.

I agree that I would normally see Zero as very much a no-funny-business / fair play advocate. The only reason I think he strayed into a slightly greyer area in this situation was because this deal was so important to Kaname and he wants so desperately to help, AND because Khang and Girard were in fact culpable for the deaths at the club, not to mention what they'd done to the four ex-humans who had to be put down, but Zero knew that no law could touch them for their crimes. So I think he felt a little more justified in twisting their arms a bit for a good cause.

Oh! Neat thought! Guess the cube is a little bit like a Pensieve (from HP). It's different in function, because it's more like a way to access the memories than a place to store them (I'll go into more details on that in a couple chapters actually) but it's use in the story is similar. :D And I'm afraid you are very, very right about when and how it would be better for Kaname to "open the box" but... eh... yes, you're also quite right that for angst sake it will happen in the worst way rather than the best. XD Who, me? Torture? *innocent look* Thank you!!!

Lenko: *bounces happily* Have I mentioned lately that I love your reviews? LOL! Well I do! *hugs* thank you!!! I'm really glad that everything felt normal and like it could really happen. :) I agree, Zero does seem to have more vampire in him these days. I don't think he would be at all happy to think that, but it's true, even if only because he's not fighting that part of his nature tooth and nail 24/7 anymore. It also makes him a stronger individual, since he's been bringing the different parts of himself together instead of denying them.

Oh yeah, modern technology would definitely make the hunters' jobs harder. The information age means that it's harder to contain secrets, especially one as huge as that which they hide. But the Hunters have obviously learned to adapt, and at least modern skepticism would be on their side. Villagers in olden days might be prepared to believe rumors of vampire activity, but people now-a-days would be much more likely to write it off to hoaxes and crazies (or promotional activity for movies and tv shows! LOL) unless they were given a lot of really compelling proof. I find that whole double-edged sword of the modern world very interesting in this context. :D

Thanks! I thought that tagging thing was fun too, and would be especially useful for Zero, as you mentioned, because as is obvious from the little flashback earlier on in this story, other hunters really need to know when there's an ex-human on the scene that they should definitely NOT target. LOL and I am also not a fan of club music. I have this little oddity that I like to actually be able to HEAR what the people with me are saying... ;)

It's true, there's nothing glamorous about Zero's job - it's very necessary, but it's hard, often gruesome work, as much as or even more so than that of any soldier. You'd have to be very strong mentally and emotionally to live with all the things you'd see in that job and not let it drive you into the dark. Honestly, it's not really a surprise that most hunters would have a very dim, bitter view of vampires considering what they have probably seen and experienced. That's why it's especially cool that Zero's come as far as he has to trying to find the balance between his job and realizing that even those he hunts have or at least once had souls. :) Yes, with time we'll definitely slowly start seeing more hunters accepting Zero and befriending him.

I wouldn't worry too much about Zero and Khang's interaction, sometimes things actually do work out on the serendipitous good side every once in a while. ;) Yes, I think it does show some growth that Kaname is starting to consider facing his past instead of continuing to run from it, poor thing. I'm not sure how far into the story we'll be when it finally comes out, because I'm not sure how long this story will end up exactly, but we've got a little bit to go yet before we get there.

It *is* fun to see Zero starting to be more comfortable and playful with Kaname. I'm certain he would never have been able to do doing what he ends up doing in this chapter and especially next chapter in the beginning of their relationship, but they've grown together a lot in the past few years and familiarity breeds comfort and confidence, especially as you find what your partner does and doesn't like and how to please them, etc. I'm glad you like that too! Thank you!!

Nineorchids: Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the twist regarding how Kaname's memories got locked up, and that you liked the idea of the tags! I have vague ideas about what Zero's tag might look like, ranging from the idea that there might be a Kiriyu family crest to the idea that he might just use his initials or the kanji for his name, or something. Haven't really sat down and designed it out, although it would be a lot of fun to do so. :)

Yes, I'm afraid Kaname always seemed like a bit of a masochist to me, and in the fanbook when they were asking different characters whether they were sadists or masochists (LOL I love that they even put that in there! XD) Kaname admitted that he was both very masochistic and sadistic, so I tend to think he would enjoy "punishment" play either on the giving or receiving end. ;) And, you make a very insightful and valid point about how that might play into some of the confusion regarding his memories... :) *zips her lips so as not to say more*

LOL and no worries, there's definitely no skipping over what happens in Zero's room... ;)

Toxic Hathor: Okay, I won't! ;D Thanks!! That's really interesting, I didn't know that about the history behind "Easier to Run". I definitely got that vibe from the lyrics, which was why it worked so well for this fic, but I hadn't known it was based off of real life. No wonder it felt so perfect!

Yes! That line from "Whispers in the Dark" just shouts Zero x Kaname, especially in the context of this story. LOL actually, this chapter and next chapter have a ton of inspiration from that song woven into them. Including the chapter titles of course, but you'll also see a nod to the line that you quoted near the end of the next chapter. ;D

Aw, thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoy the feelings and 'heart' of the characters. I definitely have to agree with you on Sagakure and YenGirl's fics and I am very complimented to be included in that grouping! :D *hugs*

HelloLish: Thank you!!

SakuraGirl25: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it! Mmm yes... Naked Zero Butt = *MUCH DROOL* ;D I like it when couples make small talk like that too, so thank you! It's a lot of fun to see them both so domesticated. ;D Ooo! And don't fight the bunnies... *feeds them carrots* That sounds fun. ;D Thank you again!!

catlover28: Thank you! I'm glad that it made things clearer and you liked it. :)

Darkness Dawn: LOL yes, I guess for now we'll settle with being glad Zero didn't get hurt... *also edges away from Kaname's glare* ;D Thanks!! Hehe yeah, stupid Khang, he had no idea how deeply he was sticking his foot in his mouth there. *Tsk, tsk, now don't go name dropping when you have no idea what you're talking about.* ROTFL!!! Yes, Zero does kick ass, except with Kaname, and yes, my brain just went to the gutter too when you said that. ;D LOL yes, definitely hot lemons coming! No pun intended. ;) Thanks again! *hugs*

Withered Black Rose: LOL yes, yay for that! *giggles* Thanks! I'm delighted you liked the Pandora conversation! And while I can't say whether Kaname wins or loses, I will say that everything will eventually work out. :) Thanks!!

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thank you!!

Im-the-best: Yes, Zero and Kaname do have very different methods of getting things done, and both very effective in their own rights. :) Thank you very much, I'm glad that you find the characters retaining their personalities. Yeah, Zero does just seem the type to ride a motorcycle (which he of course paid for all-by-himself) while Kaname is more likely to have a car and chauffer. It's fun to contrast and blend their two unique personalities. LOL yeah, I think we'd all get in line to be "punished" by Zero or Kaname... *drools* Thanks!!

KanameZero4Eva: Thank you! LOL sorry for the cliffy, hope you enjoy the chapter! ;D

LOL okay, this is it, no more lemons for a while, I swear! ;D *swats her incorrigible muse for letting them play waaaay too much* I promise there will be lots of interesting, twisty plot stuff happening next chapter. *nod nod* Also, although a lot of folks were concerned, don't worry, Zero did not in any way hurt Kaname by what happened between them the past two chapters. The truth is, although Kaname was uncertain and unbalanced at times, it was important to him to do this, it makes him feel less broken that he could push past his issues. Sometimes you have to face fear in order to start getting over it. And of course, things ended up pretty delightful. ;)

Review Responses for chapter 10 of "Secrets in the Dark"

KATZUNITED-MEOW: LOL I know, right? ME TOO PLEASE!!! *jumps up and down waving her hand*

KanameZero4Eva: Thank you!!! :)

WindStar: Thanks! :D

NoemiC: ROTFL! Well fortunately Zero skipped that bright idea which would indeed have ended up VERY badly right now I think. LOL Thanks!!

roro237: Thank you! Yes, you are very right, no matter the issues, there is definitely no doubt about the love. :) 3 Thanks!!!

Lenko: Yay!!! Thanks! *hugs back* Glad you didn't mind the half chapter, or the fact that together they're so freaking long. O_O;; Yeah, a lot of my stories and chapters are inspired by songs, or at least fostered along by them. I am a music addict and nothing gets my creative juices flowing like a song that you can see a story to. :) I'm happy you thought it fit too!

Thanks! The clothes thing came about because I've always noticed how very fully covered Kaname usually is in the manga. We've seen Zero shirtless and with his shirt hanging open, etc. but the most Kaname shows is having an open neckline or (in extremely fanservicey poses like the blue roses one) a little bit of his stomach. There was an anime picture / poster of the main trio by a pool a while ago – Zero was shirtless in trunks, Yuki was in a swimsuit and Kaname was in trunks and a buttoned, long sleeve shirt. LOL. It was night so you can't tell me he was hiding from the sun. ;) Not that I've been staring at pictures of Kaname for the past few years and waiting for them to actually undress him a little or anything... *cough* oh nooo... 0:D But at least I thought that that actually worked rather well for this story. ;)

Yes, I agree, even though it's not at all unusual in a long term relationship to occasionally have one partner somewhat going through the motions for the sake of the other who is more needy at the moment, it's a little sad in this context because of Kaname's inner struggle. It is a difficult situation to watch too because Zero would feel bad if he had realized Kaname was faking, even though neither was at all at fault. Ironically though, that's part of why we love them... the fact that they would care about things like that. In my experience most guys are not terribly observant or overly concerned about those kinds of things. But not our sweeties... :D Fortunately, Kaname gets to forget all about his problems for a little while in this chapter and there's definitely some very, very real passion going on there. *happy smile*

Thank you!! I'm so happy that you liked all those bits, and how sensitive Zero really was to Kaname's feelings. :) Don't worry, LOL while I know it's quite a departure for me, for once things actually got better for them instead of worse. Fortunately, Zero didn't do anything that would have set off a truly bad reaction in Kaname, quite the opposite. Sometimes you just have to face your fears, remember that they're unfounded, and then let them go (or be so incredibly distracted from them that you forget about them entirely for a while). And I think that's exactly what happened with the two of them these past two chapters. Yup! :D Kaname definitely had real fun, not fake fun this time. :D *hugs you and your wonderful-as-always-review tightly*

Bassoonbg: Thanks! Don't worry, he definitely will! :D ROTFL love the way you put that. XD

Toxic Hathor: *is happily tackled* I have to agree that's probably the best song on Meteora. I think that often times some of the best / most moving songs come out of personal experience because the songwriter / singer really has a connection to the lyrics. It's awful that that happened to him, but I have so much respect for people who are able to take sad, horrible situations like that and turn them into something beautiful that can then reach out and touch others who might be going through the same thing. Back when I was just entering high school, there was a song that was obviously written from personal experience about something very painful by an artist that I admired a lot at that time. It actually helped me avoid doing something stupid and destructive because I connected with it so strongly. The fact that somebody I admired had felt that way too made me feel less alone and the fact that he had made it through gave me hope. :) I have mentioned that I'm addicted to music, right? ;D

LOL well that's fine, the more fangirling the merrier! ;D Oh dear! Sorry about your lack of sleep... *sends coffee along with this update* but thank you SOOOOO much!! :D *snickers* yes, it is Kaname's fault that he's so adorable. *nods* ;D Oh gosh, that saying SO applies to fangirls! :D Yeah, it wreaks such havoc with guys' egos when they have trouble like that, and poor Kaname has more reason than usual to be disturbed and embarrassed, but fortunately he's pretty much totally over it in this chapter... :D Oooh, heroin or dark chocolate huh? *giggles* thanks!!! *hugs*

catlover28: Thanks!! This story takes place a few years after Blood Moon and roughly five or so years after Crimson Door. Kaname and Zero have been in some kind of relationship with one another since Crimson Door, but they've only been in a consciously committed one wherein they both knew they loved each other since the end of Blood Moon. So in essence I guess, they've been sleeping together off and on for about five or so years and have been in an actual "relationship" for two or three years.

HelloLish: Thanks!

Nineorchids: Thank you!! :D Yes, you are quite correct, Zero does realize that something is hurting Kaname this chapter, even if he doesn't know what, with sweet results. Hopefully the update was not disappointing. Thanks!

CaseyAnn'sPrecious: LOL! Yes, those sneaky Greeks seem determined to make an appearance, don't they? *giggles* Thanks! I'm very happy to hear that you've been enjoying the stories, and thank you so much for reviewing, I really appreciate it!

Yes, our dear boys are kind of dense sometimes, but at least the cues they miss with one another now are no longer nearly as destructive (at least as far as their relationship goes) as they used to be! Everything is very much stacked against Kaname right now, however, there are some factors and twists that have yet to come into play, so we'll see what happens... :D And although I don't want to give anything away, don't worry too much about what Zero did. :) Thanks again, I'm delighted that you liked the chapter!!

Tsubasa-Enkou: LOL sorry, here's the rest! ;D Thanks!

Dira11: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It's always like that in fics or TV, I just want to shake the characters and make them spit out their problems because we get to see what both people are feeling and know it will be okay. Yet somehow when those situations happen to one in real life it feels way more complicated and it's never so obvious that it will actually be okay because you don't have the benefit of the reader/watcher's omniscient viewpoint. XD (OH what I'd give for a peek at the narrative version of my life sometimes so I knew what others were feeling! ;D) I think that's Kaname's problem right now, and yup, you're so right, he would not be Kaname otherwise, LOL! More posted now! Thanks!

VaneCaos: Yes, Zero will feel terrible when he looks back with understanding upon what happened. Fortunately for them at the moment though, things actually worked out okay. Thanks! Glad you liked the angst.

I do completely see what you mean about the timing of it all though. I had the same hesitancy, which was why I was initially apologizing for this lemon ending up so unexpectedly and unmentionably long. Honestly, I agree, from a pacing perspective I would have much rather preferred to have several chapters more of plot development before coming to another lemon. Unfortunately, because of how rapidly things are about to start unfolding after this chapter, it would have seemed even more out of place to have it later, or at least that's how it seems to me. I could be wrong, but I couldn't see a way to do it. :P And I really did want this to happen before everything hits the fan with Nasser and we start flashing back into the past, etc.

The timing may stink, but the reasons I needed this lemon to happen were twofold. (LOL whether or not they were GOOD reasons is probably debatable, but... ;D) For one thing, I wanted to plant the idea that Kaname can on occasion be a bit of a masochist when it comes to pleasure (which shows more in this chapter than the last one and was mostly absent from their earlier restroom encounter). And for another, I wanted to show that in a loving relationship like his and Zero's, that is not a problem and not scary – you can play, everyone can feel fulfilled, it's totally just for fun and nobody has to end up hurt or maligned. Due to what will come out later and some of what is causing Kaname's inner confusion and pain, that contrast seems important to me. Maybe it was already apparent to everyone and I didn't need to point it out again, but I don't want to get to later situations in the story and have people getting all confused and upset, thinking that what happens seems out of character or un-explainable. I know I have in fact shown that side of Kaname before, like towards the end of Blood Moon on the balcony, etc., but that situation was much more violent due to the circumstances and Zero did kind of hurt Kaname, although it was all okay due to their vampire-ness and such. I felt it important to show that Zero could be very tender and loving about it too. Plus, that other situation was in a different story and I don't like to assume that everyone reading this story has read that one or remembers everything that happened - I've gotten myself in trouble that way before since my stories have been building more and more on one another. And ... well, basically, I guess I over think everything ... ;P

LOL actually I think the real problem is that I get off on tangents when writing lemons XD *sweatdrop* so they get waaaaay too long. If I'd been able to keep this lemon to a couple of pages instead of *cough* two freaking chapters *cough* it wouldn't seem like such an interruption to the plot. LOL *hides under the bed* I fear it is my monster-ramble tendencies that get me in trouble. :S

Anyway, sorry if the pacing seems off, but I promise we'll get lots more plot next chapter. :)

Faithful Cherry Blossom: Thanks! LOL and yes, I do... ;) But where would the story be without it? :D

12nothing: Thank you!! Well, for a little longer, but not too much longer I think. ;) And yes, they both will get through it eventually. :)

Maydn: Thank you! I'm glad you found that interesting. I thought it was interesting to take a look at different kinds of enjoyment in a situation. After all, in real life it's not like a romance novel, especially in a long term relationship. You aren't always madly and desperately hungry for your partner every time, sometimes it creeps up on you slower or sometimes it's more about making your loved one happy. Anyway, I thought it was kind of interesting. LOL then I'm back to romance novel again with this chapter. *rolls eyes at herself*

Hm, yes, I think I was in an overly soft mood when I wrote that chapter and it showed in my descriptions. LOL oops! I'll try to be a bit more manly this chapter. *keeps her fingers crossed and hides in fear from K & Z who probably want to kill her for accidentally making them anywhere close to girly* XD Thanks!! :D

Hey there! Here we are again with another chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews!! *huggles them all*. The plot begins to get twisty again in this chapter :D and we get to see a couple of other familiar faces, so hopefully that will be fun. Sorry for the minor cliffy, but this whole story has been giving me fits about where to place chapter breaks... *glares balefully at it*

Review Responses for Chapter 11 of "Secrets in the Dark":

KanameZero4Eva: LOL! Thank you!!!! I'm so glad you liked it and found it exciting. ;D

WindStar: Thank you very much! LOL yeah, fortunately I wasn't that mean to them, this time at least. ;)

starberries bite: Thanks!

EdenAthene: You're very welcome, thank you! I appreciate what you said. That is exactly what I want the lemons to do for the story and I am so happy that you saw them that way. :D *beams* And you're quite right, Kaname will indeed need that. Thank you again!

Lenko: You're welcome times infinity!! :D :D *grins, blushes happily and tackle hugs* Aw, thank you soooooo much!! I'm absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the lemons and found them useful to the story and character development as well. Yes, dominant and sensual Zero is yummy ;D and you're very right, Kaname is making some progress. :)

I can't say thank you enough for all the lovely things you said! *hugs them and reads the review many times* LOL yes, whether I ever have a chance to write it or not, I definitely have fun imagining them hosting some terribly formal and important dinner at that table in the future and Zero and Kaname keep remembering and looking at each other... XD.

Ah yes, that practical mind... *chuckles* although, come to think of it, I'm not at all sure they ever did remember to clean it before they left the next day... poor Izumi will probably end up stuck with it. Hahaha *imagines how red Zero will be when he realizes that - somehow I don't think it would bother Kaname as much.* K: it's her job, Zero, and she's very discrete, it's all right. Z: no, no, no... that is not in anyone's job description, this is so embarrassing! This is all your fault, I told you we should have cleaned it up then. K: My fault? Uh... remind me again, who was it that picked the couch in the first place? Z: Shut up... XD

As I mentioned a while ago when we were chatting on my blog, it wasn't Kaname's bit of masochism that surprised Zero there really, it was just the idea that Kaname liked that particular action. It's one of those things that can seem a little odd at first. 0:) Note that I said, "at first" XD. Although I probably won't have a chance to play any further with that in this particular story.

Yes, I think Zero responded exactly as Kaname needed most when he sensed that pain and Kaname got scared. Your hope is well founded. ;)

Oh gosh, yes, I really wish I could turn the light off with my mind too! Sometimes I'll be laying in bed and I'll just *stare* at the light switch, willing it to move... but inevitably, I'm the one that ends up having to move. LOL Out-willed by a light switch... pathetic... ;D *hugs tightly* thank you!!!!!

Dira11: LOL okay, I won't bury the key then... ;D Thanks!

HelloLish: Thank you very much!! I'm so glad you liked it!

KATZUNITED-MEOW: Yup!!! Thanks!

roro237: Yay! I'm glad you don't get tired of them. :D Aww, thank you so much!! *beams and hugs* I love all the wOws! *giggles* Thank you!!

Toxic Hathor: Yeah, something was up with FFN for a little while... *glares at it* but fortunately it seems better now. *keeps fingers crossed* Thank you for making sure the review came through, I appreciate it! LOL glad the coffee helped, sorry you missed sleep again! ;) I'm updating before Sunday this time, so hopefully it won't cause any more trouble! ;D

I completely agree, you get a much better grasp of a situation and how to write it if you try to put yourself into it and imagine how it might be. And I am sure that your stories do NOT suck! We always tend to think that about our own stuff I think, LOL fortunately there are others to tell us otherwise! Thank you for doing that for me. *hugs*

Dark chocolate! :D Yes, I can definitely agree with that analogy! And I'm incredibly complimented that my fic could in anyway contribute to your coming to enjoy the fandom and the pairing! :D *is honored* ROTFL!! Yes, what is it with them and bathrooms indeed? *wonders if there's any kind of term for bathroom addiction* XD Thank you very much for the awesome review!!!!!!!!

Tsubasa-Enkou: Thank you very much! I really appreciate your saying that. I know what you mean, I've seen that too in some stories. I always try to keep my lemons a little different or throw in new elements in an effort to avoid them seeming repetitive, so thank you! I am very happy that it seems to be working. *whew* :) Yes! I have heard "Comatose" that is another Skillet song I adore! And it does indeed work so well for this pairing. *high fives fellow fan* :) Thank you again!!

DeepWaterBlack: *grins at you and the lemons* Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much!! LOL I know, who would have thought? Zero you sweetie... ;D *watches the lemons scamper off* hehe I'd watch where they go if I were you... lemons bouncing around in an office building can cause all kinds of chaos... ;D

SkyChild: Thank you!! Well, we're definitely moving closer to it now. LOL and I agree, it is not news to Zero that Kaname likes pain. Although he is still discovering the different forms of it that Kaname enjoys... 0:D Thanks!

Nineorchids: Thank you! Well there's definitely some inklings / foreshadowing in this chapter... ;D *coughs and looks around* yes, actually... *cough* I am considering writing such a scene. Not in this fic, but at some point in the future, maybe in a one-shot or shorter story. I'm certain it will indeed be rather tricky for Kaname to get Zero into it, but I have an idea of how it could play out rather nicely... *evil grin* It's a kink I'm rather fond of, so... yeah, gotta try it out on our boys at some point. 0:)

Kitsune Demon Girl: Thanks!

Im-the-best: No worries, I know how busy things can get. Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters!!!!

fahaar: Ooo! yes, that is very fitting indeed! :D :D :D Thanks!

february dream: *blushes and hugs* aww! Thank you! You are much too kind!! I'm delighted that this one is your favorite and that you've been waiting for it! *beams* I hope it continues to be enjoyable!! And don't worry, your English sounded fine to me!

Eilara: Thank you very much! You're very right about secrets, they do have that habit indeed! :X It's a good thing Kaname and Zero have a pretty strong base to their relationship now. Thank you again!

Fon-chan: Thank you very much!! I'm so glad you liked that fic, and this one too! :D

YenGirl: Don't apologize at all! You know how I am... *cringes at how hideously late she is now* I'm just happy that you liked them and thank you soooooooo much for the lovely reviews!! *hugs them and you with shiny eyes*

Mwahaha... yeah.... unwrapping Kaname... *drools* that does sound like a lot of fun, doesn't it? Yes, Zero was very (rightly) excited about that news, and he finally got to give it to him this chapter. :D ROTFL!!! Yes, poor Kaname, having the trouble of middle aged human males... XD Ah well, at least now he'll have a better appreciation for when things return to normal! LOL oh my and of course I wouldn't hate you for that... *cough* after all, I wrote it... XD I found it kind of funny in an angsty way as well. LOL yes, he was kind of thinking like a girl there... *giggles and hides from irate pureblood who overheard her* eep! ;D

*beams* Thank you!! I'm so glad you liked that whole bit and all the *cough* thrusting and all. 0;D Yup! He definitely called him 'my dear'! :D *snork* yeah, you're right, Kaname ought to learn to just keep a closet full of replacement pillows handy. ;D Sheets too, probably.

LOL yeah, Kaname's BS-ing skills come in handy all over the place apparently, but at least in this instance it worked out for the best. *chuckles and eyes the happy lemon and the missing key* uh oh... ;D *hides from bouncing lemons* Thanks, I'm so glad you aren't tired of them!

Yes, Zero is definitely a sweet heart here, there and everywhere! ;D They have both come quite a way, and even if he'll probably never totally lose that shy edge here and there, Zero especially has become a lot more relaxed and able to be playful and adventurous, which I am quite sure Kaname LOVES. ;)

*coughs* yes, he really should have washed first, but fortunately, like you said, they don't have to worry about things like that.. 0:) And I'm glad Kaname's thoughts and feelings there made sense! *giggles muchly as she watches Yen and the lemons scamper around the house, following the action* Thank you so very, very much! I'm so happy that you liked all the different locations and action. Yup! A fitting, perfect and enjoyable punishment I'd say. ;) Hehehe! And again, so glad the "handle" amused you so! And of course, they need and deserve a little quiet, sweet time together too... *happy sigh* LOL yes, I was rather imagining something like that with Izumi too! XD

Mwahaha... yes, I have such a kinky imagination... will definitely be playing more with the spanks bit in the future. *coughs innocently* Not in this fic, but at some point. *watches her mind play happily in the gutter* Yeah, it's sort of sweet and interesting that Kaname still has a tendency to often hesitate and ask permission before biting, but the other way round has become a very natural action for Zero. You're quite right, Zero would take from Kaname more often, which is probably part of why. :)

Yeah, I think Zero was around 13 when he moved in with the Chairman and Yuki, and thus met Kaname. Kaname's about a year older (although I'm not really sure how the whole vampire aging thing works) so he would have been somewhere around 14-15 when he met Zero. Although the age difference between them looked more dramatic because either Kaname has always looked old for his age or possibly because of whatever funky differences there are in vampire aging LOL. The bad experiences in Kaname's past happened when he was around 13-ish, so it would have been before Zero met him for the first time.

LOL wow! :) Well don't worry, I think your crown is still very safe, but aww! Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the sweetness. *sends you a big hanky with little lemons embroidered all around the edges* Er... the lemons said to give this to you? And yeah, if that furniture could talk, right? ;) Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! *big hugs*

VaneCaos: Hi! Thanks for the review!! :) *helps you kick real life, which is always a stick in the mud* I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter! :D *grins* and I'm glad you liked imagining those parts. ;) Mmm... yes, I completely understand what you mean... :D *giggles herself silly* and again, I'm so tickled that you liked the "handle"! *falls out of her chair giggling* oh yes! Look at that, a handle and two knobs!! XD XD Brilliant! *dies in a laughing, coughing fit* And yes, definitely returning to the plot this chapter as more elements are explained and introduced. :D Thank you again, so much!!

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